Wellbeing

Medical Student Wellbeing |  Keeping Your Grass Greener |  Wellbeing Fortnight |  Medical Student Wellbeing Research

Medical Student Wellbeing

There are no doubts about it  - medical school can be very challenging at times. But in order to provide the optimal care for our patients, we first need to ensure that we are looking after ourselves. NZMSA is passionate about medical student wellbeing; keep reading to see what we’re doing about it.

Keeping Your Grass Greener

Keeping Your Grass Greener

The Wellbeing Guide for Medical Students

NZMSA, in conjunction with the Australian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA), have produced this guide which aims to assist medical students in maintaining their health and wellbeing throughout their time at medical school.

The guide can be downloaded here:

 

 

Wellbeing Fortnight

Wellbeing fortnight took place in July 2011. Keep an eye out for Wellbeing Fortnight 2012!

 

Medical Student Wellbeing Research

‘Psychomedical stress’ is often shrugged off as normal, and students can be told that medicine is no different from any other university degree. Medical students are similar, with regards to mental wellbeing, to the general student population prior to the commencement of their course [1-3]. However, as they progress through medical school, studies have shown that medical students begin to exhibit lower psychological wellbeing than age-matched peers and the general population [4-10].

One study has suggested that almost a quarter of medical students show signs of depression, and of these a quarter will experience an episode of suicidal ideation [11]. Others have had more conservative estimates, but they still show medical students with rates of depression and stress well above figures of the general population [10].

The status quo is not acceptable; more time and resources need be invested to securing greater wellbeing for medical students. The Australian and New Zealand Medical Students’ Association (AMSA/NZMSA) have recently partnered to take action, raise awareness and develop solutions to issues in the area of wellbeing. The first step was the development of the survey that James Hillis, former AMSA CLO, and William Perry, NZMSA President, conducted in 2007 with a team from five universities across Australasia. The results are available in short from the associations’ websites, and published in the Medical Journal of Australia.

The study has provided NZMSA and AMSA with a greater understanding of wellbeing issues for New Zealand and Australian medical students and with a backbone for the development of a wellbeing policy and informational booklet. It is hoped that in turn the policy will provide a springboard for wellbeing advocacy across Australasia, and the booklet a valuable resource for all students.

Early intervention at medical school is essential as wellbeing ultimately goes on to impact throughout a doctor’s professional life.  Experiences as a student are significant contributors, as many stressors that doctors face commence during medical school.  Equally, many of the coping strategies later employed are developed as a medical student. It is crucial that this issue is addressed early, and that awareness, education and resilience strategies are embedded within the University environment.

Ultimately our own individual wellbeing should not be neglected, as it underpins the success of our careers – if we are to look after our patients health, we need to look after our own health as well.

References

  1. Rosal M, Ockene I, Ockene J, Barrett S, Ma Y, Herbert J. A longitudinal study of students’ depression at one medical school. Acad Med. 1997; 72(6):542-546
  2. Carson AJ, Dias S, Johnston A, McLoughlin MA, O’Connor M, Robinson BL, Sellar RS, Trewavas JJ, Wojcik W. Mental health in medical students. A case control study using the 60 item General Health Questionnaire. Scot Med J. 2000; 45(4):115-6
  3. Singh G, Hankins M, & Weinman JA. Does medical school cause health anxiety and worry in medical students? Med Edu. 2004; 38(5): 479–481.
  4. Aktekin M, Karaman T, Senol Y, Erdem S, Erengin H, Akaydin M. Anxiety, depression and stressful life events among medical students: a prospective study in Antalya, Turkey. Med Edu. 2001;35:12-17
  5. Henning K, Ey S, Shaw D. Perfectionism, the imposter phenomenon and psychological adjustment in medical, dental, nursing and pharmacy students. Med Edu.1998;32:456–64.
  6. Lloyd C, Gartrell NK. Psychiatric symptoms in medical students. Compr Psychiatry. 1984;25:552–65.
  7. Toews JA, Lockyer JM, Dobson DJ, Brownell AK. Stress among residents, medical students, and graduate science (MSc/PhD) students. Acad Med. 1993;68(10 suppl):S46–S48.
  8. Toews JA, Lockyer JM, Dobson DJ, et al. Analysis of stress levels among medical students, residents, and graduate students at four Canadian schools of medicine. Acad Med. 1997;72:997–1002.
  9. Psujek JK, Martz DM, Curtin L, Michael KD, Aeschleman SR. Gender differences in the association among nicotine dependence, body image, depression, and anxiety within a college population. Addict Behav. 2004;29:375–80.
  10. Dahlin M, Joneborg N, Runeson B. Stress and depression among medical students: a cross-sectional study. Med Educ. 2005;39:594–604.
  11. Givens J, Tjia J. Depressed medical students’ use of mental health services and barriers to use. Acad Med. 2002; 77: 918-921