Correlational study. Engagement, fear of COVID-19 and depression in second year medical students at FES Zaragoza

Abstract

Engagement represents the opposite of a state of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion, i.e., the opposite response to chronic emotional stressors in the academic environment. The SARS-COV2 coronavirus pandemic has generated fear of COVID-19 and mental and emotional repercussions such as depression, which alters school and social dynamics. The aim of the present study was to analyze the relationship between engagement, fear of COVID-19 and depression in undergraduate medical surgeon students. The study was a cross-sectional, correlational and non-experimental design. The sample consisted of 51 medical students. They voluntarily responded to the following instruments: COVID-19 Scale, PHQ-2 depression scale and UWES-9 engagement. A mean inverse correlation was obtained between depression and engagement (r= -0.467, p=0.001), no correlation was found between fear and depression, nor between fear and academic performance. The negative relationship between depression and engagement represents a starting point to implement educational strategies and mental health promotion.