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Atkinson SR. Elevated psychological distress in undergraduate and graduate entry students entering first year medical school. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0237008. [PMID: 32776950 PMCID: PMC7416945 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Psychological distress in medical students is a global issue and poses a risk to their health, academic performance, and ability to care for patients as clinicians. There has been limited research on psychological distress levels in students prior to starting medicine and no direct comparison between undergraduate and graduate-entry students. Methods Psychological distress was assessed using the 21-item Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale in 168 undergraduate-entry and 84 graduate-entry medical students at two separated campuses of the same university in the orientation week prior to starting classes. Mean scores and severity proportions were compared between the two cohorts of students. Demographic data was also collected and compared to distress scores using subgroup analysis. Results The response rate for the study was 60.9%. The majority of undergraduate and graduate-entry medical students were within the normal limits for depression (67.2% versus 70.2%, p = 0.63), anxiety (56.5% versus 44.0%, p = 0.06), and stress scores (74.4% versus 64.2%, p = 0.10). There was no significant difference between severity groups except for severe stress (2.3% versus 9.5%, p = 0.01). The mean scores of the clinically distressed groups indicated moderate levels of depression, moderate anxiety, and moderate stress scores. There were no significant differences between undergraduate or graduate-entry students for depressive ( x¯ = 17.02 versus 15.76, p = 0.43), anxiety ( x¯ = 14.22 versus 13.28, p = 0.39), and stress scores ( x¯ = 20.83 versus 22.46, p = 0.24). Female gender and self-believed financial concerns were found be associated with higher levels stress in graduate entry students. Conclusions The majority of medical students enter medical school with normal levels of psychological distress. However, a large number of undergraduate and graduate-entry medical students have significant levels of depressive, anxiety, and stress levels, without a significant difference between undergraduate or graduate-entry students. There are several limitation of this study but the results suggest that education and intervention may be required to support students from the earliest weeks of medical school.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean R. Atkinson
- School of Rural Health, Monash University, Churchill, Australia
- * E-mail:
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Worly B, Verbeck N, Walker C, Clinchot DM. Burnout, perceived stress, and empathic concern: differences in female and male Millennial medical students. PSYCHOL HEALTH MED 2018; 24:429-438. [DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2018.1529329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brett Worly
- Department of OB/GYN, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Nicole Verbeck
- Office of Evaluation, Curriculum Research & Development, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Curt Walker
- Office of Evaluation, Curriculum Research & Development, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Daniel M Clinchot
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
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Machado L, Souza CTND, Nunes RDO, de Santana CN, Araujo CFD, Cantilino A. Subjective well-being, religiosity and anxiety: a cross-sectional study applied to a sample of Brazilian medical students. TRENDS IN PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY 2018; 40:185-192. [DOI: 10.1590/2237-6089-2017-0070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Abstract Objective: To assess associations between subjective well-being (SWB), religiosity, anxiety and other factors in a sample of Brazilian medical students from a public university in northeastern Brazil. Methods: The present study followed a cross-sectional, observational, analytical approach. Data were collected by administering a self-applicable questionnaire composed of questions focused on sociodemographic data and based on the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWL), Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ), and the Duke Religiosity Index (DUREL). Results: The sample comprised 417 medical school students (73.54% of all the enrolled students). The medical students assessed presented a medium level of satisfaction with life, low mean positive emotion levels and high anxiety/uneasiness levels. Surprisingly, lower anxiety and intrinsic religiosity (IR) scores were associated with higher scores in the two SWB parameters (positive emotions and satisfaction with life). Furthermore, the factors leisure activities, good sleep quality, financial support, age, and gender were associated with the highest SWB scores (with emotional and cognitive components, or with only one of these two components). Conclusions: Data in the current study corroborated the negative association between SWB and anxiety; however, in opposition to the literature, they also evidenced a negative association between SWB and IR. In addition, the present research signaled the need for creating preventive intervention programs to increase SWB through positive psychological techniques and/or to decrease anxiety by applying, for instance, cognitive-behavioral therapy paradigms and/or mindfulness techniques to medical students.
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Jung SS, Park KH, Roh H, Yune SJ, Lee GH, Chun K. Research trends in studies of medical students' characteristics: a scoping review. KOREAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL EDUCATION 2017; 29:137-152. [PMID: 28870017 PMCID: PMC5583429 DOI: 10.3946/kjme.2017.60] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Revised: 07/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to investigate domestic and international research trends in studies of medical students' characteristics by using the scoping review methods. This study adopted the scoping review to assess papers on the characteristics of medical students. The procedure of research was carried out according to the five steps of the scoping review. The full texts of 100 papers are obtained and are read closely, after which suitable 88 papers are extracted by us for this research. The review is mapped by the year of the study, source, location, author, research design, research subject, objective, and key results. The frequency is analyzed by using Microsoft Excel and SPSS. We found 70 papers (79.5%) on a single medical school, 15 (17.0%) on multiple medical schools, and three (3.4%) on mixed schools, including medical and nonmedical schools. Sixty-nine (79.5%) were cross-sectional studies and 18 (20.5%) were longitudinal studies. Eighty-two papers (93.2%) adopted questionnaire surveys. We summarized research trends of studies on medical students in Korea and overseas by topic, and mapped them into physical health, mental health, psychological characteristics, cognitive characteristics, social characteristics, and career. This study provides insights into the future directions of research for the characteristics of medical students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung Soo Jung
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chungnam National University College of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Kwi Hwa Park
- Department of Medical Education, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea
| | - HyeRin Roh
- Department of Medical Education and the Institute of Medical Humanities, Inje University College of Medicine, Korea
| | - So Jung Yune
- Department of Medical Education, Pusan National University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea
| | - Geon Ho Lee
- Department of Family Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea
| | - Kyunghee Chun
- Head Office for Educational Innovation, Tongmyong University, Busan, Korea
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Heinen I, Bullinger M, Kocalevent RD. Perceived stress in first year medical students - associations with personal resources and emotional distress. BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION 2017; 17:4. [PMID: 28056972 PMCID: PMC5216588 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-016-0841-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 160] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 12/08/2016] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Medical students have been found to report high levels of perceived stress, yet there is a lack of theoretical frameworks examining possible reasons. This cross-sectional study examines correlates of perceived stress in medical students on the basis of a conceptual stress model originally developed for and applied to the general population. The aim was to identify via structural equation modeling the associations between perceived stress and emotional distress (anxiety and depression), taking into account the activation of personal resources (optimism, self-efficacy and resilient coping). METHODS Within this cross-sectional study, 321 first year medical students (age 22 ± 4 years, 39.3% men) completed the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ-20), the Self-Efficacy Optimism Scale (SWOP) and the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) as well as the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4). The statistical analyses used t-tests, ANOVA, Spearman Rho correlation and multiple regression analysis as well as structural equation modeling. RESULTS Medical students reported higher levels of perceived stress and higher levels of anxiety and depression than reference samples. No statistically significant differences in stress levels were found within the sample according to gender, migration background or employment status. Students reported more self-efficacy, optimism, and resilient coping and higher emotional distress compared to validation samples and results in other studies. Structural equation analysis revealed a satisfactory fit between empirical data and the proposed stress model indicating that personal resources modulated perceived stress, which in turn had an impact on emotional distress. CONCLUSIONS Medical students' perceived stress and emotional distress levels are generally high, with personal resources acting as a buffer, thus supporting the population-based general stress model. Results suggest providing individual interventions for those students, who need support in dealing with the challenges of the medical curriculum as well as addressing structural determinants of student stress such as course load and timing of exams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Heinen
- Department of Medical Psychology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, 20246 Germany
| | - Monika Bullinger
- Department of Medical Psychology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, 20246 Germany
| | - Rüya-Daniela Kocalevent
- Department of Medical Psychology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, 20246 Germany
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AlFaris E, Irfan F, Qureshi R, Naeem N, Alshomrani A, Ponnamperuma G, Al Yousufi N, Al Maflehi N, Al Naami M, Jamal A, van der Vleuten C. Health professions' students have an alarming prevalence of depressive symptoms: exploration of the associated factors. BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION 2016; 16:279. [PMID: 27769235 PMCID: PMC5073730 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-016-0794-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2016] [Accepted: 10/08/2016] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a need to better understand the depression phenomenon and to clarify why some students become depressed and others don't. The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence of depressive symptoms among health professions' (HP) students, and to explore the association between socio-demographic factors (e.g. year of study, discipline, gender) and depressive symptoms. METHODS In this descriptive-analytic, cross-sectional study, stratified proportionate sampling strategy was used to select the study sample during the academic year 2012-2013. The students from four health professions' schools situated within a large, public university located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia were screened for depressive symptoms using the 21-item Beck Depression Inventory (BDI II). Chi-square test, student t-test and ANOVA were used to compare different categorical variables. RESULTS The overall response rate was 79.0 %, the highest among dental students 86.1 %, and lowest among nursing (49.7 %). The overall prevalence rate of depressive symptoms was 47.0 %; it was highest among dentistry students (51.6 %), followed by medicine (46.2 %), applied medical sciences (AMS) (45.7 %) and lowest among nursing students (44.2 %). A statistically significant association was found between the presence and severity of depressive symptoms on one hand and the female gender (p = 0.000) and year of study on the other hand. CONCLUSION This study seems to indicate an alarming rate of depressive symptoms. Female gender, dentistry, the third year for all schools and fifth year for medicine and dentistry have the highest association with depressive symptoms. Future studies may be needed to explore further the reasons and explanations for the variation in the prevalence of depressive symptoms among these groups. The factors that deserve exploration include curricular variables and personal factors such as the students' study skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiad AlFaris
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Farhana Irfan
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Riaz Qureshi
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Naghma Naeem
- Medical Education Department, Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulaziz Alshomrani
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Al Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, PO Box 7544, Riyadh, 13317-4233 Saudi Arabia
| | - Gominda Ponnamperuma
- Medical Education, Medical Education Development and Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - Nada Al Yousufi
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nasr Al Maflehi
- Biostatistical Consultant CDRC, College of Dentistry, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammad Al Naami
- General Surgery Division, KKUH, KSU, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amr Jamal
- College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Cees van der Vleuten
- Department of Educational Development and Research, School of Health Professions Education, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Győrffy Z, Csala I, Sándor I. [Medical students of Hungary. A changing profession or feminisation?]. Orv Hetil 2014; 154:1950-8. [PMID: 24292113 DOI: 10.1556/oh.2013.29766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Career motivations, professional socialization, as well as somatic and mental health of medical students have received a growing interest. AIM To explore gender-related differences among medical students in the fields of career motivations, somatic and mental health, and stress factors. METHOD Nationwide, cross-sectional, quantitative survey on a sample of medical students (n = 731). RESULTS Female medical students choose their profession earlier, and their career motivations are more altruistic than their male colleagues. The lack of the role model is more typical for females. Female students have more psychosomatic disorders, and complain about more stress factors than males. Workload, sleeping disorders and emotional exhaustion are significantly higher among female medical students. CONCLUSIONS The results show that health protection of female medical students may have a key role in the prevention of subsequent morbidity of female physicians in Hungary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsuzsa Győrffy
- Semmelweis Egyetem, Általános Orvostudományi Kar Magatartástudományi Intézet Budapest Nagyvárad tér 4. 1089
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