ABSTRACT
Objective
To assess the prevalence of depersonalization/derealization disorder (DP/DR) among medical students at the Federal University of Roraima and to correlate this with socio-economic and personal variables.
Methods
A cross-sectional study that is both quantitative and descriptive and designed to assess the prevalence of DP/DR disorder among UFRR medical students in 2014 using the Cambridge Depersonalization Scale as a research tool.
Results
The overall prevalence of DP/DR among UFRR medical students was 11.5%, with the prevalence higher among lower grades (1st to 3rd year) (OR = 10.7) compared to the final series. There was no correlation between the prevalence of DP/DR and individual factors such as age, gender or income.
Conclusion
We observed a high prevalence of DP/DR disorder among medical students, which may adversely affect their personal and professional life, causing significant distress. It is possible that students in lower years are at a greater risk of developing the disorder, and that mechanisms developed by students used to face stress may play a key role in their susceptibility to this and other psychological disorders.
Despersonalization; Student Health Services; Students, Medical; Psychiatry; Medical Education
