Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41620672›Full record

ArticleBMC psychiatry2026

Mental health disorders among Sudanese medical students amid the 2023 conflict: prevalence, predictors, and implications.

Esraa S A Alfadul, Salma S Alrawa, Badria Tebaig, Andrew Molodynski, Abdelgadir Hussein M Osman

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Article in BMC psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Esraa S A AlfadulFaculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Al Qasr Avenue, P.O. Box 11111, Khartoum, Sudan. Esraaalfadul.uofk@gmail.com.
Salma S AlrawaFaculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Al Qasr Avenue, P.O. Box 11111, Khartoum, Sudan.
Badria TebaigFaculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Al Qasr Avenue, P.O. Box 11111, Khartoum, Sudan. badriaeet@gmail.com.
Andrew MolodynskiOxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and Oxford University, Oxford, UK.
Abdelgadir Hussein M OsmanDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe ongoing military conflict in Sudan since 2023 has disrupted both medical education and the healthcare system, likely adversely affecting the mental health of medical students. PURPOSE: This study investigates the prevalence of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and possible predictive factors in Sudanese medical students during the April 2023 military conflict. CROSS-SECTIONAL: Studies were included among the faces of Sudanese medical students in conflict-affected regions. Participants completed an online questionnaire covering demographics, education, coping strategies, and mental health using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Posttraumatic Stress Checklist (PCL-5).

resultsIn our large sample of 4185 medical students, very high rates of anxiety (61.98%), depression (65.5%), and PTSD (36.7%) were reported. Medical students without plans for continuation of education exhibited significantly higher levels of anxiety and depression compared to their counterparts (p < 0.001). An increased age is associated with higher levels of anxiety (estimate: 0.14, 95%CI: 0.08 to 0.19), depression (estimate: 0.11, 95%CI: 0.06 to 0.16), and PTSD (estimate: 0.35, 95%CI: 0.16 to 0.55). Males exhibit significantly lower levels of anxiety (estimate: −2.1, 95%CI: −2.4 to −1.8), depression (estimate: −0.59, 95%CI:-0.86 to −0.33), and PTSD (estimate: −6.1, 95%CI:-7.2 to −4.9) compared to females. Perceived below-average financial status before conflict significantly increases anxiety (estimate: 0.69, 95%CI: 0.19 to 1.2), depression (estimate: 0.82, 95%CI: 0.38 to 1.3), and PTSD (estimate: 3.2, 95%CI: 1.3 to 5.0). Experiences of sexual abuse, physical abuse, death of a family member, and financial damage are strongly associated with increased anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Attending public medical school is associated with lower anxiety (estimate: −0.74, 95%CI: −1.0 to −0.45), depression (estimate: −0.76, 95%CI: −1.0 to −0.51), and TSD (estimate: −1.6, 95%CI: −2.6 to −0.54) compared to private school attendance.

conclusionOur study found high rates of mental health conditions and distress among Sudanese medical students during the ongoing conflict. Associated factors include demographic factors, personal economic stability, coping strategies, and trauma. Urgent interventions are vital to target the factors mentioned above. Prioritising students’ mental well-being is critical for their resilience and to support their contributions to post-conflict nation-building efforts.

Indexed as

AnxietyDepressionStress Disorders, Post-TraumaticStudents, MedicalAdultArmed ConflictsCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMalePrevalenceSudanSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung AdultAnxietyConflictDepressionDeveloping countriesMedical studentsPTSD

Identifiers

PMID41620672
PMCPMC12947355

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.