The lived experience of medical students during COVID-19 pandemic: the impact on lifestyle and mental wellbeing

Abstract

PurposeThe paper intends to explore the lived experiences of medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on their lifestyles and mental wellbeing.Design/methodology/approachFourteen medical students from the College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain, were enrolled, and their narratives were obtained. Data were analyzed and conducted using Colaizzi’s phenomenological descriptive method of enquiry.FindingsThe analysis identified two themes, along with nine subthemes, that were generated. The first theme focused on mental and social experiences, while the second focused on lifestyle changes. During the pandemic, students had time to reflect on themselves and started to think positively about their lives, although they felt fearful, uncertain, stressed and anxious due to preventive control measures that were mandated, including social distancing and lockdowns. Participants’ lifestyles changed generally negatively, as they adapted to the preventive measures, rendering them physically inactive and exposing them to unhealthy food and disturbed sleep.Originality/valueThe findings provide an insight into the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lifestyle and mental wellbeing of medical students. Educational institutes need to offer their students both short as well as long-term health, social and mental support to overcome the impact of the pandemic on their lives.

Covid-19 Pandemisi Döneminde Ege Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi 3. ,4. ,5. Sınıf Öğrencilerinin Beslenme Alışkanlıkları Değişiminin İncelenmesi

“…Tıp öğrencilerinin pandemi öncesinde ve pandemi sırasında haftada 3 kezden fazla bazı besinleri tüketme sıklığı (%). (12). Çalışmamızda, sosyoekonomik durumunu kötü olarak bildiren öğrencilerin VKİ artışının daha fazla olduğu anlaşılmıştır.…”

Facing the Unknown: An Inductive Analysis of the Lived Experience of Medical Residents during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Qualitative studies have shown that several groups of individuals who experienced distress during the pandemic emerged from this experience feeling more liberated [47,[58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68]. These participant groups varied greatly in terms of demographics and contexts.…”

Presepsi Remaja Terhadap Gangguan Kecemasan Pada Fase Remaja Akhir Menuju Dewasa Awal

“…Kemampuan seseorang dalam mengelola rasa juga menjadi sinyal kesehatan mental yang baik. Kesehatan mental dimaknai sebagai kemampuan mereka menghadapi berbagai tekanan yang muncul, menciptakan produktivitas serta berkontribusi bagi orang lain (Alzayani et al, 2022). Literatur lain menjelaskan jika kesehatan mental dimaknai sebagai keberhasilan seseorang dalam mengembangkan berbagai aspek (psikis, kecerdasan dan emosional) (Gao et al, 2023).…”