Psychosomatic problems among medical students: a myth or reality?

Prevalence, characteristics and measurement of somatic symptoms related to mental health in medical students: a scoping review

INTRODUCTION

Somatic symptoms related to mental health in medical students are under-researched, with nothing on the topic being published in the United States in over three decades. This scoping review is the first of its kind to explore the prevalence, type and severity of somatic symptoms induced by stress, anxiety, depression and burnout amongst medical students, with the objective of describing the significance and breadth of this issue.

METHODS

PRISMA-ScR guidelines were used to guide this review. A comprehensive search was performed of 22 databases, followed by bibliographic and hand searching. Inclusion criteria were published, peer-reviewed articles with a sample of medical students and at least one measure of somatic symptoms related to mental health, in English or with an English-language translation. Excluded were review, companion and editorial articles. Coding was done by an experienced coder trained in systematic review techniques. Two authors reviewed each article.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine articles met inclusion criteria, representing 16 countries, 31 schools/teaching hospitals and 9,887 medical students. The prevalence of somatic symptoms ranged from 5.7 to 80.1%, and somatic symptoms were overwhelmingly found to be significantly correlated with mental ill-health. Somatic symptoms included back pain, neck pain, headaches, sleep disturbances and functional gastrointestinal disorders. Eleven different outcome measures were used, with varying degrees of validity and reliability, which were compared and assessed.

CONCLUSIONS

Somatic symptoms appear strongly correlated with mental ill-health in medical students, and are likely highly prevalent. This review highlights the need for further research on somatic symptoms of mental ill-health in medical students, particularly in the United States, and the addition of larger, multi-institutional cohorts to expand our understanding of prevalence, incidence and inciting factors of somatic symptoms. Longitudinal studies tracking somatic symptoms' effect on career trajectory and professional burnout levels are also needed. Finally, future research should explore interventions for reducing physical symptom burden in medical students.

Effect of cognitive behavioral therapy program on mental health status among medical student in Palestine during COVID pandemic

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound psychological influence on everyone in society, and the impact it had on students, particularly medical students, cannot be underestimated. The main purpose of this study is to (1) determine the prevalence of mental disorders among medical students and their associated factors, and (2) examine the effectiveness of cognitive behavior therapy on mental health problems among medical students.

METHODS

Between March and May 2021, we conducted a randomized controlled study on two phases among medical students at An-Najah National University. Data were collected using an online questionnaire and the Arabic version of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). We also used the MEDAS tool to assess their Mediterranean Diet (MD) adherence. In the second phase, sixty-six students were recruited and assigned randomly to control and intervention groups. Intervention impact was assessed using 12-item General Health Questionnaire at two-time points; baseline, and 8 weeks post-intervention. The interventional model used was cognitive behavioral therapy, and the control group received no treatment.

RESULTS

A total of 329 students were included in the analysis of the first phase of the study. Approximately 28% of students had mental health problems. We found a significant relationship between good mental health status with a higher level of physical activity level, longer sleeping hours, and shorter entertainment time (p < 0.05). In the second phase of the study, a total of 91 students were included. Overall, using the CBT program showed a significant improvement in the outcome measures. At 8 weeks post-intervention, students had lower scores on total GHQ-12, depression, anxiety, and social dysfunction.

CONCLUSION

These findings propose that adequate attention must be paid to the mental health of medical students and that CBT programs can be used for the management of mental health problems among medical students.

Mental health and wellbeing of medical students in Nigeria: a systematic review

In addition to the stresses common to medical school training, medical students in Nigeria face additional peculiar contemporary social problems due to income inequality, poverty, insecurity and political instability. These have a direct impact on their mental health and wellbeing. The aim of this study was to systematically review articles reporting on the epidemiology of psychiatric disorders among medical students in Nigeria. Studies were identified using MEDLINE, HINARI, African Journal Online (AJOL) and Google Scholar databases using search terms encompassing psychiatric morbidity amongst medical students. No date restrictions were applied to the search. The pooled prevalence estimate was calculated for each disorder. Psychological distress was present in 25.2% of the students, perceived stress in 60.5%, depression in 33.5% and anxiety in 28.8%. The current use of at least one psychoactive substance was present in up to 44.2%, while 35.5% of all the respondents had experienced one or more forms of abuse during their training as medical students. The prevalence of psychiatric disorders among medical students in Nigeria is high. Positive coping mechanisms such as religiosity, positive reframing and resilience which were identified in this review should be optimized to reduce the burden.

Prevalence of hypochondriac symptoms among health science students in China: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Hypochondriac symptoms are commonly reported in health science students. With their incomplete medical knowledge, they may compare their own bodily symptoms with disease symptoms during the process of learning, which can lead to mental distress and the need for repeated medical reassurance.

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the prevalence of hypochondriac symptoms in Chinese health science students.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Biology Medicine disc, and Wanfang Data on July 1, 2018. Additionally, the references of the retrieved papers were searched. Cross-sectional studies published in either English or Chinese that reported the prevalence of hypochondriac symptoms in health science students were included. The selection process was executed based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis, and study quality was assessed with the checklist recommended by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality for cross-sectional studies. A random-effects model according to the DerSimonian-Laird method was used to calculate the pooled prevalence.

RESULTS

Seven cross-sectional studies involving 6,217 Chinese health science students were included. The pooled prevalence of hypochondriac symptoms among health science students was 28.0% (95% CI = 19.0%-38.0%). The symptoms were a little more common in females (30.0%, 95% CI = 19.0%-42.0%) than in males (29.0%, 95% CI = 16.0%-42.0%), but the difference was not significant. No significant differences were found between participants grouped by study year. Only three studies explored the coping styles of students with hypochondriasis, and these revealed a high tendency toward help-seeking behaviors.

CONCLUSION

Our systematic review and meta-analysis showed a high prevalence of hypochondriac symptoms among health science students, indicating that it is a noteworthy phenomenon. We suggest that counseling and other support services are necessary for health science students.

Mental Health Status of Medical Students: A Single Faculty Study in Egypt

Mental health illnesses are increasing in severity and number among medical students. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of mental disorders among medical students and their associated factors. Nine hundred students were selected from Mansoura Faculty of Medicine by the cluster sampling method. Data were collected using an Arabic self-administered questionnaire and the Arabic version of the Symptoms Checklist 90 Revised. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were done. Approximately 59% of students had one or more mental disorders. The prevalence of high Positive Symptom Distress Index (PSDI), depression, and somatization was 30.1%, 25.2%, and 21.7%, respectively. Logistic regression revealed that being male, younger than 20 years age, living away from family, rural families, and very low or low social class were independent risk factors for most of the mental disorders studied. In conclusion, mental disorders were common among medical students. Mental health care should be mandatory for these students.

Prevalence of poor mental health among medical students in Nepal: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Poor mental health among medical students is widely acknowledged. Studies on mental health among medical students of Nepal are lacking. Therefore, we conducted a study to determine the prevalence of mental disorders.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students at KIST Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Nepal from December 2016 to February 2017. Our survey instrument consisted of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) and questions about socio-demographic factors, smoking, marijuana use, suicidal ideation and thoughts of dropping out of medical school.

RESULTS

The prevalence rates were 29.2% (95% CI, 24.4% - 34.3%) depression, 22.4% (95% CI, 18.0% - 26.9%) medium to highly severe somatic symptoms, 4.1% (95% CI, 2.0% - 6.2%) panic syndrome, 5.8% (95% CI, 3.4% - 8.3%) other anxiety syndrome, 5% (95% CI, 2.7% - 7.3%) binge eating disorder and 1.2% (95% CI, 0.0% - 2.3%) bulimia nervosa. Sixteen students [4.7% (95% CI, 2.4% - 6.9%)] seriously considered committing suicide while in medical school. Thirty-four students [9.9% (95% CI, 6.8% - 13.1%)] considered dropping out of medical school within the past month. About 15% (95% CI, 11.1% - 18.6%) of the students reported use of marijuana during medical school.

CONCLUSIONS

We found high prevalence of poor mental health among medical students of Nepal. Future studies are required to identify the factors associated with poor mental health.