LAUSR

1. Arun P, Ramamurthy P, and Thilakan P. Indian medical students with depression, anxiety, and suicidal behavior: why do they not seek treatment? Indian J Psychol Med 2021 Feb 16; DOI: 10.1177/0253717620982326 2. Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, and Williams JB. The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. J Gen Intern Med 2001 Sep; 16(9): 606–613. 3. Manea L, Gilbody S, and McMillan D. Optimal cut-off score for diagnosing depression with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9): a metaanalysis. CMAJ 2012 Feb 21; 184(3): E191–E196. was used as a standalone instrument to determine the presence of depression, a relatively stricter cutoff of 15 was chosen to achieve greater specificity of the diagnosis. This, however, does not belittle the symptoms of the students who scored between 10 and 14 on PHQ-9, and it is indeed important to address their emotional difficulties. Despite ensuring anonymity and assuring confidentiality, a nonparticipation rate of 26.5% was observed in our study. No faculty psychiatrist or psychologist was physically present at the time of data collection, due to ethical concerns that their presence may be regarded as a coercive strategy to enhance student participation in the study. The data was collected by the first author, who is a medical student in the same institute. At the time of conducting the study, there was no official policy on student mental health in our institute. Hence, the usual ethical principles, including confidentiality, were employed in dealing with student mental health issues. An official policy on student mental health may dispel students’ misgivings, thereby facilitating the utilization of mental health services.