Medical Students' Subjective Ratings of Stress Levels and Awareness of Student Support Services About Mental Health

This is a research article "Stress of Medical Students" which  I found in Medscape - Postgraduate Medical Journal.Here I have shared here only the abstract + Result of that paper.

Medical Students' Subjective Ratings of Stress Levels and Awareness of Student Support Services About Mental Health

Garry Walter, Nerissa Li-Wey Soh, Sanna Norgren Jaconelli, Lisa Lampe, Gin S Malhi, Glenn Hunt Disclosures Postgrad Med J. 2013;89(1052):311-315. 

Abstract

Purpose To descriptively assess medical students' concerns for their mental and emotional state, perceived need to conceal mental problems, perceived level of support at university, knowledge and use of student support services, and experience of stresses of daily life.

Study design From March to September 2011, medical students at an Australian university were invited to complete an anonymous online survey.

Results: 475 responses were received. Students rated study and examinations (48.9%), financial concerns (38.1%), isolation (19.4%) and relationship concerns (19.2%) as very or extremely stressful issues. Knowledge of available support services was high, with 90.8% indicating they were aware of the university's medical centre. Treatment rates were modest (31.7%). Students' concerns about their mental state were generally low, but one in five strongly felt they needed to conceal their emotional problems.

Conclusions: Despite widespread awareness of appropriate support services, a large proportion of students felt they needed to conceal mental and emotional problems. Overall treatment rates for students who were greatly concerned about their mental and emotional state appeared modest, and, although comparable with those of similarly aged community populations, may reflect undertreatment. It would be appropriate for universities to address stressors identified by students. Strategies for encouraging distressed students to obtain appropriate assessment and treatment should also be explored. Those students who do seek healthcare are most likely to see a primary care physician, suggesting an important screening role for these health professionals.

Results

Five hundred and twenty-four students responded to the survey, with 475 completing the subjective rating table 'How stressful do you find the following issues in your life'. This yielded a response rate of 40.7%. Table 1 shows how students rated their concern regarding their mental state, their need to conceal their mental state, and how supported they felt at university. The mean age of the students who responded to the rating table was 25.5 years, SD 3.8 (220 male, 254 female, 1 no answer); 81 were international students.

Student Concerns Regarding Mental or Emotional State and the Number Currently Receiving Treatment

More than 60% of respondents reported that they were not at all or a little concerned about their mental or emotional state, while 14% were concerned a lot or a great deal. Fifty-seven (11.9%) reported they were currently receiving treatment for a mental/emotional problem; 23 (35%) of those who said they were concerned a lot or a great deal about their mental or emotional state were currently receiving treatment. Of the 421 who had not received treatment, 31.1% had considered seeking treatment.

Need to Conceal Mental State and Perceived Support

Nearly a third of respondents said they never felt they had to conceal a mental or emotional problem, while a fifth reported they felt a lot of need or always had to conceal a mental or emotional problem. More than half of the respondents felt not at all or a little supported at university, mentally and emotionally, while 17.0% felt the university supported them a lot or a great deal.

Awareness of Support Services and Rates of Use

The best known of the university's support services were the Medical Centre, the University Counselling Service and the Financial Assistance Office (Table 2).

Nearly a third of respondents (151 out of 477) had ever sought treatment for mental or emotional reasons while at university. Of these, the most common services used were the university counselling services, private psychologists and General Practitioners (GPs) (Table 3).

Student Perceptions of How Stressful They Found Life Issues

Table 4 shows students' rankings of how stressful they found financial, relationship, study and examination, isolation, accommodation and living arrangements, travelling and commuting and family issues.

Soruce: Postgraduate Medical Journal (Medscape)