Depressive symptoms and depressed mood among Chinese medical students in Hong Kong

We studied the attitudes and personal experiences with traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) use in Chinese medical students. Medical students at the Chinese University of Hong Kong were asked 13 questions according to an anonymous survey. Six hundred and eleven of 780 medical students (47% males, 52% females) returned the questionnaire; 199 (33%) of the participants used TCM at least once in the past year, and 85% had ever tried various TCM. The attitude was positive in 41%, neutral in 52% and negative in only 6%. The majority (70%) reported no change in attitudes towards TCM after studying Western medicine (WM). Of the 199 participants who had used TCM in the past year, upper respiratory infections were the most common circumstance leading to TCM usage, with 31% immediately using TCM without any TCM practitioner consultation. The most common modality of TCM used by 85% of participants was herbal decoction, and nearly one-quarter had used over-the-counter Chinese medicine. Although 78% reported they knew of the TCM practitioner or treatment from family members or friends, 14% stated they randomly selected the practitioner. "Effectiveness of TCM," "fewer side effects than WM," "illness not completely treated by WM" and "recommendation from family/friends" were common beliefs held by participants for TCM usage. Forty-five percent reported that they had not been told of any side effects of TCM. Pre-clinical students had more positive attitudes towards TCM and consulted TCM practitioners more often in the past 12 months (OR 9.1, CI 3.16–28.18; p <0.001) compared to students in clinical years, who tended to become more negative towards TCM after studying WM. TCM usage is common among medical students in Hong Kong. It is important to note that nearly half of the students were not aware of any possible side effects from TCM. Students appear to become more negative towards TCM after studying WM.

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Body dysmorphic disorder, social anxiety and depressive symptoms in Chinese medical students

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology ◽

10.1007/s00127-009-0139-9 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 45 (10) ◽

pp. 963-971 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Yanhui Liao ◽

Natalie P. Knoesen ◽

Yunlong Deng ◽

Jinsong Tang ◽

David J. Castle ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Medical Students ◽

Social Anxiety ◽

Body Dysmorphic Disorder ◽

Chinese Medical Students

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Professional Identity of Chinese Medical Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

10.21203/rs.3.rs-144141/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Xingjie Yang ◽

Lan Gao ◽

Suoyuan Zhang ◽

Libin Zhang ◽

Ligang Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Medical Students ◽

Professional Identity ◽

Online Survey ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Strong Predictor ◽

Career Attitudes ◽

Patient Health ◽

Chinese Medical Students

Abstract Background: Although professional identity is a strong predictor of career choice, only a few studies report on career attitudes of medical students during a public health emergency. This study investigates the changes in medical students’ professional identity and career attitude during the COVID-19 pandemic, evaluates their mental health and social support system under stress, and explores the relationship between their career attitude and other factors. Method: An online survey of 6226 Chinese medical students was conducted to collect information on demographics, professional identity, and career attitudes. The collected data were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, and the Social Support Rating Scale. Results: The results revealed that most participants had their professional identity strengthened, did not change their career attitude, and preferred to participate in the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic. Low social support, depressive symptoms, male gender, and senior year residency were factors that affected career attitude negatively. Conclusions: After the outbreak of the pandemic, it was necessary to carry out diversified professional identity research to support medical students, especially those with low social support and depressive symptoms.

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Association of severity of depressive symptoms with sleep quality, social support and stress among Pakistani medical and dental students: A cross-sectional study

Global Psychiatry ◽

10.2478/gp-2019-0019 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 211-220

Author(s):

Ahmed Waqas ◽

Aqsa Iftikhar ◽

Zahra Malik ◽

Kapil Kiran Aedma ◽

Hafsa Meraj ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Medical Students ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Severe Depression ◽

Dental Students ◽

Poor Sleep ◽

Poor Sleep Quality ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Medical And Dental Students

AbstractObjectivesThis study has been designed to elucidate the prevalence of stress, depression and poor sleep among medical students in a Pakistani medical school. There is a paucity of data on social support among medical students in Pakistan; an important predictor of depressive symptoms. Therefore, this study was also aimed to demonstrate the direct and indirect impact of social support in alleviating depressive symptoms in the study sample.MethodsThis observational cross-sectional study was conducted in Lahore, Pakistan, where a total of 400 students at a medical school were approached between 1st January to 31st March 2018 to participate in the study. The study sample comprised of medical and dental students enrolled at a privately financed Pakistani medical and dental school. The participants responded to a self-administered survey comprising of five parts: a) demographics, b) Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), c) Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), d) Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and e) Perceived Stress Scale-4 (PSS-4). All data were analysed using SPSS v. 20. Linear regression analysis was used to reveal the predictors of depression.ResultsIn total, 353 medical students participated, yielding a response rate of 88.25%. Overall, poor sleep quality was experienced by 205 (58.1%) students. Mild to severe depression was reported by 83% of the respondents: mild depression by 104 (29.5%), moderate depression by 104 (29.5%), moderately severe depression by 54 (15.3%) and severe depression by 31 (8.8%) respondents. Subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, daytime dysfunction and stress levels were significantly associated with depression symptoms. Social support was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms in the regression model (Beta = -0.08, P < 0.09); however, it acted as a significant mediator, reducing the strength of the relationship between depressive symptoms and sleep quality and stress.ConclusionsAccording to our study, a large proportion of healthcare (medical and dental) students were found to be suffering from mild to moderate depression and experienced poor sleep quality. It is concluded that social support is an important variable in predicting depressive symptomatology by ameliorating the effects of poor sleep quality and high stress levels.

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Depressive Symptoms and Burnout Among Medical Students: a Prospective Study

Journal of General Internal Medicine ◽

10.1007/s11606-021-06765-x ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Padmini D. Ranasinghe ◽

Jocelynn T. Owusu ◽

Amanda Bertram ◽

Henry Michtalik ◽

Hsin-Chieh Yeh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Medical Students ◽

Prospective Study ◽

A Prospective Study

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