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

Abstract

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.

Stress Perceptions, Somatization, and Coping Strategies among Dentistry and Nursing Students: A Comparative Study

“…In the present study, resilience factors associated with lower levels of somatization symptoms among dental and nursing students included emotional balance and self-awareness (34.44%). This aligns with findings from Sperling et al (2023) [66], who highlighted the importance of emotional regulation and self-awareness in reducing somatic symptoms among medical students. Similarly, another research indicated that self-reflection and emotional self-disclosure contribute significantly to post-traumatic growth in nursing students, reporting on the role of self-awareness in mental health resilience [67].…”

“…Somatization of stress refers to the phenomenon where psychological distress manifests as physical symptoms without discernible organic pathology (Feussner et al, 2022) [9]. This is particularly concerning in healthcare education due to the demanding nature of these disciplines and the potential implications for students' future clinical practice (Sperling et al, 2023) [10]. Among dental students, who face significant stressors during their education, somatization symptoms such as tension-type headaches with a positive association with painful TMD or bruxism are prevalent, linking these symptoms to stress and psychological functioning (Câmara-Souza et al, 2020) [11].…”

Exploring the Association Between Type of Pain and Mental Health With Four Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire

“…In some other studies, in similarity with ours, patients with headache and/or bodily pain were investigated for psychiatric symptoms with various questionnaires (9,5,12,13,14).…”

“…Back pain, neck pain. Hheadaches, sleep disturbances, and functional gastrointestinal disorders were examples of somatic symptoms (13).…”

Unraveling the core symptoms of mental health in senior grade three students- a network analysis

“…Stress predicts somatic symptoms in students under academic stress ( 29 ). 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 ( 30 ). A previous study has shown that physical reactions may be one of the most symptoms of learning stress during the COVID-19 pandemic ( 31 ).…”