Section 1: Type of study
Cross-Sectional Study
Section 2: Title
Assessing the Prevalence of Panic Disorders among Undergraduate Medical Students in Karachi:
A Cross-Sectional Study
Section 3: Authorship
Muhammad Taha
Zaigham Ali
Zehrah Hameed
Sarah Asad
PRESENTING AUTHOR:
Muhammad Taha
tahamamnoon000@gmail.com
Karachi Medical And Dental College, Block M, North Nazimabad, Karachi.
Section 4: Abstract Text
Background: Panic disorders (PD) involve recurrent episodes of intense fear. Medical students
face substantial stress, heightening their risk for PD, anxiety, and depression, which impact their
well-being and academic performance. While global research highlights high stress levels among
medical students, there's a gap in studying PD prevalence in Pakistani medical students. This
study explores PD prevalence among medical students in Karachi and its link to medical
stressors to inform targeted mental health interventions.
Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 296 undergraduate medical
students from various medical institutes in Karachi. The sample comprised 148 male and 148
female students, with a mean age of 21.6±1.5. Data were collected through a comprehensive
Google Form survey, which included demographic information, DSM-5 criteria for panic
disorders, and questions about anxiety and medical stressors. The prevalence of panic disorders
and their association with gender and medical stressors were analysed using chi-square tests.
Before proceeding with the questionnaire, participants were kindly requested to provide their
informed consent to participate in the study. Ethical approval from the Institute Review Board of
Karachi Medical and Dental College under approval number ERB/KMDC/Approval/2023/068
was obtained prior to the commencement of data collection.
Results: Among participants, 35.8% experienced panic disorder episodes, and 32.4% reported
anxiety attacks. Panic disorders were notably more prevalent among females (p=0.005).
However, no significant link between medical stressors and panic disorders was established
(p=0.083).
Conclusion: The research highlights concerning panic¹ disorder and anxiety prevalence among
medical students, emphasizing the need for gender-sensitive mental health interventions and
greater awareness. Further research with larger samples is crucial to explore panic disorder-
stressor relationships. This underscores the importance of prioritizing students' well-being and
advocating comprehensive mental health support in academic settings.
Keywords: Panic Disorders; Medical Students; Mental Health; Cross-Sectional Study; Karachi.
Section 5: Disclosures
The presenting author and lead investigator declare no conflicts of interest.
