Aims: The current study compares the rate and pattern of mental morbidity in medical students of first semester and final semester and to evaluate its association with socio-demographic and other variables.

Methods and Material: This was cross-sectional study done at tertiary care centre of North India. Sample included first and final semester students. Socio-demographic information sheet and GHQ-60 questionnaire was administered, based on which probable cases (score of 12 or above) of psychiatric problems were detected which were then diagnosed according to ICD-10. A battery of instruments to determine the role of various factors including personality disorders, neurosis, life events, family and college environment were administered. Frequency distribution, chi-square test and‘t’test were applied.

Results: Medical college entrants had higher psychiatric problems than their outgoing counterparts (32% V/s 25%) with higher male preponderance. Low and middle family income outgoing medical students had significantly higher frequency of mental ill health (p=0.05). Mentally unwell entrants had significant difference on all the parameters of MHQ as compared to outgoing students who were positive on only four parameters.  Medical entrants had more dysfunctional personality traits, less coping responses as compared to outgoing students. In medical outgoing group, significant differences were observed on both presumptive stressful life events and medical college environment scale while significant differences exist only on medical college environment scale in entrant group.

Conclusions: Compared to medical outgoing students, entrant had more psychiatric problems with larger disturbances on MHQ, dysfunctional personality traits, less coping response, difficult medical college environment.

Keywords: Medical students, coping response, environment, life events.

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