Depression in medical students: current insights

Abstract

Medical students are exposed to multiple factors during their academic and clinical study that have been shown to contribute to high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. The purpose of this article was to explore the issue of depression in the medical student population, including prevalence, causes, and key issues, along with suggestions for early identification and support from one medical school in New Zealand. After establishing that the prevalence of depression is higher for medical students than the general population, the key issues explored include assessment used in the program, characteristics of the student population (such as Type A personality and perfectionism), resilience, selection procedures, students’ motivation, and the nature of the clinical environment. This review includes several recommendations to improve students’ psychological health such as positioning well-being within an overarching comprehensive workplace wellness model and integrating peer and faculty-led support into the day-to-day running of the institution. It also highlights the advantages of the addition of a well-being curriculum, as skills to prevent and manage distress and depression are relevant in supporting the competencies required by medical practitioners. It concludes that medical schools need wide-ranging strategies to address the complexities associated with the particular student population attracted to medicine and calls for educators to act, by noticing opportunities where they can introduce such initiatives into their medical programs.

Development of Cynicism in Medical Students: Exploring the Role of Signature Character Strengths and Well-Being

“…How can it be explained that one part of the students is more cynical at the beginning of their studies (high-level group) and others become cynical over time (increasing group)? As Moir et al (2018) emphasized, traits of medical students can play an important role in deteriorating mental health. Therefore, it might be conceivable that students from the high-level group possess more of a cynicism trait-like characteristic, compared to students in the increasing group.…”

COVID-19 Implications on Clinical Clerkships and the Residency Application Process for Medical Students

“…Medical students are particularly vulnerable to the mental health ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic. The global prevalence of anxiety and depression among medical students is 33.8% and 33% respectively, both substantially higher than the general population [26][27]. Social distancing policies and physical isolation may incite acute stress disorders, irritability, fear and panic, avoidance behavior, emotional distress, and other mental health consequences in the healthy population, but vulnerable groups, such as medical students, may be more at risk [28].…”

Integrating Mindfulness and Physical Exercises for Medical Students: A Systematic Review

“…Mindfulness training has, therefore, been applied to the medical education context [15][16][17]. In addition to its use as a therapeutic practice, the theory and application of mindfulness has been embedded in some medical curricula both formally and informally [18,19].…”