IntroductionrnNumerous studies have shown that mental distress is a common problem among medicalrnstudents. Factors associated varied across studies, however, the negative impact ofrnmental distress on medical students has been shown to be manifold. Mental distressrnprofiles may show variation over time, requiring periodic assessments so as to tailorrninterventions that best suit the current situation.rnObjectivernThe objective of this study is to assess the level of mental distress and associated factorsrnamong medical students of Addis Ababa University.rnMethodsrnA facility-based, cross-sectional, quantitative study was conducted on medical students ofrnAddis Ababa University. Stratified random sampling was employed & data was collectedrnfrom consenting medical students (preclinical year 1 to internship) using a 2-partrnstructured, self-administered questionnaire (Part I: Background Data & Part II: The 20-rnitem Self Reporting Questionnaire [SRQ-20] English version). SPSS version 20 was used forrndata entry and univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to assess factorsrnassociated with mental distress.rnvirnResultsrnA total of 291 medical students participated in the study. The one-month prevalence ofrnmental distress among medical students of Addis Ababa University was 64.9%, which isrnnearly double the prevalence 12 years ago. Suicidal ideation was reported by 14.1% of thernrespondents (6% in the original study). Female sex (AOR=2.187, 95% CI=1.131- 4.231),rncurrent feelings of dissatisfaction about having joined Medicine (AOR=2.839, 95%rnCI=1.278- 6.302) and having experienced a challenging life event in the preceding 30 daysrn(AOR= 3.787 95% CI=1.179- 12.167) were associated independently with greater odds ofrnmental distress. Lifetime substance use (X2= 10.658, df= 1, p=0.001) and currentrnsubstance use (X2=4.080, df=1, p=0.043) had significant associations with mental distressrnbut no such association was present in multivariate analysis. Other variables including agernand year of study showed no (significant) association with mental distress in univariate orrnmultivariate analyses.rnConclusionrnThe study shows that the prevalence of mental distress among medical students of AddisrnAbaba University is higher than that reported 12 years ago. Continued supportiverninterventions for medical students and studies of a qualitative nature are recommended.