Introduction:

depression is "a frequent mental disorder, characterized by the presence of sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or lack of self-esteem, sleep or appetite disorders, feeling tired and lack of concentration." It is one of the most frequent forms of mental illness, along with anxiety, and by the year 2020 it will be considered the first cause of illness in the developed world.

Objective:

to describe and evaluate depressive disorders in medical students at the International University Three Borders "UNINTER" of Ciudad del Este, Paraguay during 2016.

Materials and Methods:

descriptive, transversal and prospective work carried out in medical students. The instrument was the Beck Depression Inventory ("Beck Depression Inventory" -BDI), used worldwide to diagnose depression. It contains 21 questions with 4 possible answers, which are punctuated. A persistent score of 17 or more points indicates that the respondent may need some professional help. 206 students participated, 63% (129) women and 37% (77) men. 63% (130) of the students live in Brazil and 51% live with a relative.

Result:

the prevalence of depression, in any of its stages, was 13% (27). 69% (142) presented highs and lows considered normal, and 2% presented depression considered moderate and extreme. When related to sex, women presented alterations in mood or some level of intermittent depression, moderate or severe in 40% while men presented 15% for the same stages. The highest percentage of students with any symptoms of depression occurred in the first year of studies with 35% (46 students).

Conclusion:

in this population of students demonstrate a worrying prevalence of mood disorders, anxiety and depression. The high prevalence was observed in the 1st and 5th year of the race.

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