Do medical students use cognitive enhancers to study? Prevalence and correlates from lithuanian medical students sample

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S304-S304
Author(s):  
A. Lengvenytė ◽  
R. Strumila
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Cognitive Enhancers ◽  
Other Substances ◽  
Health Sciences Students ◽  
Vilnius University ◽  
Competing Interest

IntroductionUse of prescription psychostimulants and nootropics for non-medical purpose is a growing trend, especially in academic environment. Seeing the risks of neuroenhancement we decided to investigate situation in Lithuania.ObjectiveAnalyze the use of cognitive enhancers among medical students in Lithuania.Aims1. Determine the prevalence of cognitive enhancement. 2. Figure out what drugs are mostly used and reasons for the usage. 3. Evaluate the contributing factors.MethodsA cross-sectional survey study was performed in Vilnius University and Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. Students were asked to fill anonymous paper questionnaires consisting of 13 items concerning prevalence of substance use to enhance cognitive performance, reasons, and correlates during lecture time.ResultsResults are summarized in Table 1. A total of 8.1% of responders indicated that they had used cognitive enhancers. Nootropics were the most frequently mentioned: 59.6%, while psychostimulants were mentioned less frequently: 38.3% (including modafinil, methylphenidate and amphetamine derived drugs), and 23.4% indicated other substances. Improvement of concentration and increased studying time were predominant purposes (55.3% and 48.9% of users). Male students reported 3 times higher prevalence rates than females (14.6% vs. 5.1%, P < 0.05). Prevalence were also higher in students, who knew someone using these substances as compared to those who did not (17.3% vs. 5.1%, P < 0.05); it was the most associated factor with cognitive-enhancing drug taking behavior (Table 1).ConclusionsIn Lithuania, 1 of 12 medical students admits to having used neuroenhancing drugs. Nootropics were the most used drugs. Knowing user was the most important factor for usage.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Psychological Distress of Medical Students in Japan: Cross-sectional Survey Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshito Nishimura ◽  
Kanako Ochi ◽  
Kazuki Tokumasu ◽  
Mikako Obika ◽  
Hideharu Hagiya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
State Of Emergency ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Subjective Mental Health

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected medical education. However, little data are available about medical students’ distress during the pandemic. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to provide details on how medical students have been affected by the pandemic. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 717 medical students participated in the web-based survey. The survey included questions about how the participants’ mental status had changed from before to after the Japanese nationwide state of emergency (SOE). RESULTS Out of 717 medical students, 473 (66.0%) participated in the study. In total, 29.8% (141/473) of the students reported concerns about the shift toward online education, mostly because they thought online education would be ineffective compared with in-person learning. The participants’ subjective mental health status significantly worsened after the SOE was lifted (<i>P</i>&lt;.001). Those who had concerns about a shift toward online education had higher odds of having generalized anxiety and being depressed (odds ratio [OR] 1.97, 95% CI 1.19-3.28) as did those who said they would request food aid (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.16-3.44) and mental health care resources (OR 3.56, 95% CI 2.07-6.15). CONCLUSIONS Given our findings, the sudden shift to online education might have overwhelmed medical students. Thus, we recommend that educators inform learners that online learning is not inferior to in-person learning, which could attenuate potential depression and anxiety.

scholarly journals A Qualitative Identification of Gaps in Understanding About Brain Death Among Trainees, Health Care Personnel and Families at an Academic Medical Center

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 266-271
Author(s):  
Patrick M. Chen ◽  
Jamie Nicole LaBuzetta
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Brain Death ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Health Care Personnel ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Patient Families

Background and Purpose: Death by whole brain criteria (brain death) is a clinical diagnosis. We sought to identify aspects of brain death that were unclear to both health care personnel and patient families. Methods: Institutional review board approved cross-sectional survey study of attendings, medical trainees (residents and fellows), senior medical students, advanced practice providers (APPs), and critical care nursing (registered nurses [RNs]) at a tertiary referral center over 6 months (March 2018 to September 2018). Surveys were completed on paper or electronically. Participants supplied the top 3 of (1) their own personal questions regarding brain death and (2) questions received from patient families about brain death from a prepared list of questions. Results: Two hundred twenty-nine individuals participated in the survey, with a response rate of 46%. Participation rates in brain death declaration among attendings (92%), RNs (84%), APPs (100%), and trainees of which included fellows (92%) and residents (85%) were high. Most frequently asked questions by trainees and health care personnel were “What are brain death mimics?” and “What is the gold standard testing?”. Questions received from patient families most commonly include “What is brain death?” and “Is brain death reversible?”. All medical students had questions about brain death. Greater than 75% of attendings endorsed having questions regarding brain death. Conclusion: Many health care personnel are involved with brain death declaration, but there are gaps in their understanding about fundamentals regarding brain death. We identify a need for early and targeted brain death education regarding brain death and family communication for various members of the health care profession.

scholarly journals Association Between HEXACO Personality Traits and Medical Specialty Preferences in Mexican Medical Students

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco José Barbosa-Camacho ◽  
Roberto Carlos Miranda-Ackerman ◽  
Itzel Vázquez-Reyna ◽  
Vania Brickelia Jimenez-Ley ◽  
Francisco Javier Barrera-López ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Group Versus ◽  
Medical Specialty ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Clinical Group ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Critical Choice ◽  
Surgical Group

Abstract Background: Medical specialty is a critical choice in a physician’s life because it determines their professional future and medical practice. Some are motivated to choose a specific specialty based on the monetary gain it can provide; others are inspired by seeing the work performed by a physician or a patient’s recovery. It is not uncommon to stereotype doctors’ personalities by their specialty. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey study in which we administered the 100-item HEXACO-Personality Inventory-R to 292 medical students between September 2018 and March 2019. We evaluated six different domains of personality traits. We also included questions about their medical specialty of choice, their least preferred specialty, and the motivation behind these choices. The participants included 175 women (59.9%) and 117 men (40.1%). Results: When participants were asked about their preferred type of medical specialty, 52.4% indicated a preference for surgical specialties (surgical group) versus 47.6% who preferred clinical specialties (clinical group). We found that the surgical group showed a tendency toward higher scores for the extroversion (p = 0.004) and organization (p = 0.004) scales; while the clinical group presented higher scores in the honesty–humility (p = 0.038), emotionality (p = 0.048), and agreeableness (p = 0.014) scales. We identified critical differences within the overall group of medical students by sex and between medical specialty preference. Conclusions: Some classical stereotypes were confirmed by our results, such as surgical specialists being more prone to being extroverted and organized, while clinical specialists were prone to being more introverted, anxious, and more emotionally attached to their patients.

scholarly journals Change in alcohol consumption and physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic amongst 76 medical students

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e12580
Author(s):  
Christina Sandell ◽  
Mikhail Saltychev
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Leisure Time Physical Activity ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Rank Test ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Higher Alcohol ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Negative Effect

Objective To investigate whether the COVID-19 pandemic has affected physical activity and alcohol consumption among medical students. Methods Cross-sectional survey study among 76 students in their second year of medical school. The Wilcoxon sign-rank test and Kruskal-Wallis H test were used to assess the difference between groups. Results Of 76 respondents, 68% were women, 66% were single and 34% were co-habiting. The median age was 21 years. Overall alcohol consumption decreased during the pandemic year by 12 g/week. Overall physical activity did not significantly change. The decrease in alcohol consumption was mostly caused by a change seen in a high tertile, change was −96 g/week. Alcohol consumption decreased more in women than in men, p = 0.0001. Conclusions It seems that alcohol consumption among medical students has decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic probably due to reduced social contacts and negative effect of social isolation. This decrease was seen especially among women and among students with higher alcohol consumption before the pandemic. Also, it seems that students had found their ways to remain active during the pandemic since the amount of leisure-time physical activity had not changed significantly.

scholarly journals Perceptions of the Podiatric Medicine Profession: A Survey of Medical Students in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

2020 ◽  
Vol 110 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha A. Miner ◽  
Tracey C. Vlahovic
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Interprofessional Relations ◽  
The United States ◽  
Scope Of Practice ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional

Background Medical students (MSs) in allopathic and osteopathic medical programs may not be adequately exposed to the role of podiatric physicians and surgeons in health care. We explored perceptions of the specialty field of podiatric medicine from the perspective of MSs in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area. Methods In this cross-sectional survey study, responses regarding podiatric education and scope of practice were collected via a 16-question, self-reported, anonymous online survey distributed to MSs at one osteopathic and three allopathic medical schools in the Philadelphia area. Inferences and conclusions were drawn from the percentages of respondents. Statistical analyses for school of attendance, year of study, and physician relative subgroups were performed. Results The 129 survey responses obtained revealed misunderstandings regarding podiatric education and training. Only 45.7% correctly answered that podiatric medical students do not take the United States Medical Licensing Examination. The results also showed the perception of podiatry in a positive light, with approximately 80% of respondents agreeing that the term doctor is applicable when referring to a podiatrist. Respondents with a physician relative were more likely to rate podiatry's role in health care higher on a scale from 0 (inessential) to 5 (equivalent to MDs/DOs) than those without a physician relative. Conclusions The results of this preliminary survey were generally positive and optimistic while also identifying some misconceptions regarding MS perceptions of podiatric medical training and scope of practice. Further studies are needed to evaluate perceptions of podiatry from the perspective of other members of the health-care team to improve interprofessional relations and understanding.

Differences In The Attitudes Of Clinical And Pre-clinical Medical Students To Mental Illness

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S433-S433
Author(s):  
O. Adekunte ◽  
C. Oliver ◽  
B. Owen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Psychiatric Patients ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Elective Period ◽  
Competing Interest

BackgroundThe quality of care provided to psychiatry patients by doctors can be influenced by attitudes towards mental illness. Equally important is the attitude of medical students as future treating doctors towards mental illness. This survey compares the differences in the attitudes of pre-clinical and clinical years student to mental illness.AimsTo compare attitudes of pre-clinical and clinical medical students’ to mental illness.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of 212 clinical students (CS) and pre-clinical students (PS) at Newcastle University. Each responded anonymously to an electronic questionnaire. The responses take the form of: Yes/No, free text, order of preference, and Likert scale. Results were analysed based on basic statistical analysis.ResultsLittle differences exist between the 2 groups in their beliefs that psychiatric patients are not difficult to like, mental illness can be a result of social adversity, psychiatry patients often recover and that people with mental illness should be offered a job with responsibility. However, 54% PS disagreed that mental illness often leads to violence, compared to 66% CS and 87% of PS identified that mental illness can be genetic in origin compared with CS of 91%.ConclusionThis survey did not identify any significant difference between the attitudes of pre-clinical and clinical students in most of the domains. However, a higher percentage of clinical students associate violence with mental illness and are unwilling to consider an elective period in psychiatry.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals Doctor’s presenteeism and its relationship with anxiety and depression: a cross-sectional survey study in China

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. e028844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoyu Xi ◽  
Qianni Lu ◽  
Tian Wo ◽  
Pei Pei ◽  
Guohua Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depression Scale ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Work Related ◽  
The Impact

ObjectivesThe impact of presenteeism on doctors’ health, quality of patient care and overall performance of health institutions has been reported. The study aimed to investigate the prevalence of presenteeism among doctors, the association between presenteeism and anxiety/depression, and aspects that can help alleviate presenteeism.DesignA cross-sectional anonymous survey study was conducted between 2017 and 2018.Setting30 hospitals in Hangzhou city, Zhejiang Province, China including 10 category 1 hospitals (20–99 beds), 10 category 2 hospitals (100–499 beds) and 10 category 3 hospitals (> 500 beds) which had the highest population coverage.ParticipantsAt least 3 doctors from each department in the studied hospitals participated. Each participant received a gift worth around US$5 at completion of the survey.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe prevalence of presenteeism and its relationship with anxiety or depression were evaluated as the primary outcomes. Secondary outcomes included the prevalence of abnormal cases of anxiety and depression.ResultsThe survey was completed by 1153/1309 hospital doctors (response rate 88.1%). Presenteeism was reported by 66.4% of participants. Using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, 68.8% and 72.3% of participants had abnormal cases of anxiety and depression, respectively. Logistic regression analysis showed that participants with abnormal cases of anxiety, borderline cases of depression or abnormal cases of depression were more likely to practice presenteeism (all p<0.05). Other significant work-related contributing factors included: time working at the current hospital, management duty, monthly salary and ease of replacement (all p<0.05).ConclusionPresenteeism was prevalent among doctors in China and the association of presenteeism with abnormal cases of anxiety or depression was significant. Considering the modifiable work-related contributing factors, appropriate measures at the healthcare institutions to support doctors’ mental health, help them develop and reinforce management skills, and ensure appropriate manpower are important to alleviate presenteeism behaviour.

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