How generalized anxiety disorder and perceived stress affect the lives of medical students in Sudan?

Abstract Background Individuals with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) often experience significant disturbance in their well-being and daily activities. Whereby, interfering with their dynamic progress. Anxiety is a product of stress and a major predictor of academic performance. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), measure levels of anxiety and perceived stress, evaluate academic profile, identify lifestyle characteristics, and explore the correlations between these factors. Methods In this cross-sectional study 340 Sudanese medical students completed online questionnaires, composed of the sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics, academic profile, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 scale (GAD-2), and Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10). Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 20.0 for data analysis. Results Of 340 medical students, 3.8% of them were diagnosed with GAD, while 29.1% scored ≥ 3 in GAD-2, indicating a possible diagnosis. The study found that 9.7% of the participants used addictive substances, with 42% of them having high GAD-2 scores. Moreover, high anxiety levels were associated with high-stress scores (p-value = 0.000). Also, high GAD-2 scores were significantly associated with students who spent less than 10,000 SDG (18$) weekly, spent more time on entertainment using smart devices (p-value = 0.004), and had an unhealthy diet (p-value = 0.004). Low anxiety levels were associated with better sleep quality (p-value = 0.00), satisfaction with religious practices (p-value = 0.00), and increased leisure/hobby time (p-value = 0.018). High-stress levels were observed in females (p-value = 0.035), those with lower academic performance satisfaction levels, and increased hours of smart device usage for entertainment (p-value = 0.001). Reduced stress levels were associated with being ≥ 23 years old, increased leisure/hobby time (p-value = 0.002), satisfaction with religious practices (p-value = 0.00), and having a healthy diet (p-value = 0.006). Conclusion The low prevalence of GAD corresponded with previous literature, but 29.1% of medical students had a high probability of having GAD. The study emphasizes on providing accessible mental health services for medical students and interventions addressing modifiable risk factors.