To estimate, among Medical School intern students, the prevalence of depressive symptoms and their severity, as well as associated factors.

Cross-sectional study in May 2008, with a representative sample of Medical intern students (n = 84) from Universidade Federal de Sergipe (UFS). Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and a structured questionnaire containing information on sociodemographic variables, teaching-learning process, and personal aspects were used. The exploratory data analysis was performed by descriptive and inferential statistics. Finally, the analysis of multiple variables by logistic regression and the calculation of simple and adjusted ORs with their respective 95% confidence intervals were performed.

The general prevalence was 40.5%, with 1.2% (95% CI: 0.0–6.5) of severe depressive symptoms; 4.8% (95% CI: 1.3–11.7) of moderate depressive symptoms; and 34.5% (95% CI: 24.5–45.7) of mild depressive symptoms. The logistic regression revealed the variables with a major impact associated with the emergence of depressive symptoms: thoughts of dropping out (OR 6.24; p = 0.002); emotional stress (OR 7.43; p = 0.0004); and average academic performance (OR 4.74; p = 0.0001).

The high prevalence of depressive symptoms in the study population was associated with variables related to the teaching-learning process and personal aspects, suggesting immediate preemptive measures regarding medical school graduation and student care are required.