RAMADAN FASTING: CAN IT SUPPORT TO MEDICATE DEPRESSION

Sayid Ridho; Mohammad Roidul Fatoni; Naufal Al Hakim Salsabila; Alfiah Alfiah

Sayid Ridho Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta, Indonesia
Mohammad Roidul Fatoni Faculty of Medicine, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta, Indonesia
Naufal Al Hakim Salsabila Faculty of Medicine, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta, Indonesia
Alfiah Alfiah Division of Integrated Moslem Doctor & Bioethics, Faculty of Medicine, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta, Indonesia

Keywords: depression, Ramadan fasting, preclinic medical students

Abstract

BACKGROUND : Every human being has many stressors in their life which is different from one person to person. Due to have many stressors in college, medical students are having high risk for their mental health that can contribute to conditions such as depression. Therefore, treatment for depression becomes very important. As thought by the Prophet Muhammad, the fasting can make Muslim healthy. Moreover, the study to explore the fasting between normal and depression subjects is limited. Hence, the purpose of this study was to explore the effect of Ramadan fasting on depression of preclinic medical students of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. METHOD : A cohort prospective study was conducted with a one-group pretest-posttest design. Sample was taken using consecutive sampling method with total 242 subject. Data of depression was obtained using DASS-42 questionnaire for depression. The Wilcoxon test was used to analyze the data. RESULTS & DISCUSSION: As result of Wilcoxon test, this study revealed that the effect of Ramadan fasting on score depression were significantly decreased to all subjects (p= 0.042). Furthermore, either in subject who have depression or normal subject, there were effect of Ramadhan with significancy decrease of score each p= 0.000 for normal group and p= 0.006 for depression group. CONCLUSION : Ramadan fasting have an affect to decline depression score not only for normal subjects but also for depression subjects of preclinic medical students of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. Hence, as religious coping, Ramadan fasting can be proposed and used as a method to support the treatment for depression as well as a way to achieve good mental health status.