A descriptive study of mental health and burnout among Nigerian medical students

Background: Increasing attention is being paid to medical students’ mental wellbeing globally due in part to their exposure to stressors inherent in medical education and the numerous reports of elevated rates of mental health conditions in this population. Aims: This study aimed to identify stressors and determine prevalence rates of psychiatric morbidity, substance use and burnout in a sample of Nigerian medical students. Methods: In a cross-sectional online survey, 505 medical students from 25 Nigerian medical schools completed a socio-demographic questionnaire, short version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), the CAGE questionnaire and the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI). Result: The most commonly reported sources of stress were study (75.6%), money (52.3%) and relationships (30.1%). Nine students (1.8%) had received a mental health diagnosis prior to medical school but this number had increased to 29 (5.7%) whilst in medical school, with the majority being cases of anxiety and depressive disorders. The prevalence of psychological distress was 54.5%, but <5% of affected students had received any help for their mental health conditions. Twenty five students (5%) met criteria for problematic alcohol use and 6% had used cannabis. The proportions of students who met criteria for disengagement and exhaustion domains of the OLBI were 84.6% and 77.0% respectively. Conclusion: The prevalence of psychological distress and burnout is high among medical students. Interventions for medical students’ well-being should be tailored to their needs and should target risk factors related to personal, organisational and medical school academic structure attributes.

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First the Pandemic then the Tsunami: COVID-19 and Its Impact on Mental Health

10.26420/austinpsychiatry.2021.1008 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Keng Chuan SOH ◽

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Medical Students ◽

Systematic Reviews ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Large Population ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Impact ◽

Mental Wellbeing ◽

Behavioural Patterns

Introduction: COVID-19 has undeniably and profoundly impacted everyday lives of the general public. One particular emphasis is the mental wellbeing of populations. This review serves to examine the mental health impact of the current pandemic. Methods: A review of the literature on PubMed was conducted, drawing from systematic reviews and large population studies about mental health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The content was synthesized with the writer’s experience of daily life across different perspectives. Certain demographic sub-groups were examined, such as those under home quarantine or isolation, those who had contracted COVID-19, those with pre-existing psychiatric disorders, as well as healthcare workers and medical students. Results: Psychological well-being was adversely affected by the pandemic, although there is some controversy about the magnitude of this impact which is likely in relation to the timeline of the pandemic’s progression. Behavioural patterns such as spending habits during lockdowns might provide an early indication of mental health problems. Those who had contracted COVID-19 were found to have heightened levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms and depressive symptoms. Healthcare workers and medical students have faced comparable levels of anxiety, depressed mood and insomnia. The final results of some of the systematic reviews are still pending. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted everyday life. If not already thecase, there is likely to be an anticipated tsunami of mental health concerns. This wouldmake a strong case for the anticipatory need of increased resource allocation to allowmental health services to meet this demand.

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The Role of AYUSH in Mental Well-Being

Advances in Psychology, Mental Health, and Behavioral Studies - Psycho-Social Perspectives on Mental Health and Well-Being ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-1185-5.ch014 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 281-295

Author(s):

Ranjit Kumar Dehury ◽

Rajeev Kumar

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Conditions ◽

Mental Wellbeing ◽

Peace Of Mind ◽

Health And Wellbeing ◽

Mind And Brain ◽

The Government ◽

Mental Well Being

Mental wellbeing was the centerpiece of the Indian system of medicine. Many healthcare issues are resolved by the peace of mind and brain stimulating processes. Of late, Government of India adopted many systems of medicines that are complementary to the modern allopathic medicines and named it AYUSH system of medicine. In this Ayurveda, Yoga, Homoeopathy, Siddha, Unani, Swa-rigppa, and additional healing systems are represented. There is also a great need for psychological wellbeing due to the rapid increase in stressful life situations. The current modern medical care is not adequate to provide mental health services in the society. At the same time, many indigenous and AYUSH system have come into action and solve the problem the best way it possible. The chapter focuses on the role of AYUSH system in catering to mental wellbeing in India. The policies of the government of India are to promote mental health and wellbeing in society. The specialties of various systems of medicine in curing the mental health conditions have been elaborated.

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International medical student’s mental health: psychological distress and socio-cultural adaptation

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckaa166.1066 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽

Author(s):

H Hachemi ◽

M Dimitrijević ◽

J Stojanović ◽

S Cvjetković

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

International Students ◽

Medical Students ◽

Cultural Adaptation ◽

Foreign Students ◽

Well Being ◽

International Medical ◽

Depression Anxiety Stress Scale ◽

Future Health

Abstract Background The greater academic mobility and globalization have introduced a substantial number of foreign students to more universities. The lack of recent studies about their adaptation and signs of psychological distress arose an interest about this relevant issue. Recognizing the factors involved in the adaptation process are vital for international students, especially medical, as they are considered the future health-care workforce. Ensuring their well-being is essential for consumers safety, satisfaction and raising quality at lower costs. Thus, the aim of this research was to explore the predictors of psychological distress including socio-demographic variables and socio-cultural adaptation Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Belgrade School of Medicine, where 124 (65 males and 59 females) international students from 32 countries were interviewed using a socio-demographic questionnaire and psychometric tools such as Revised Socio-cultural Adaptation Scale (SCAS-R) and Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21). Statistical analysis included prevalence data and multiple linear regression. Results The prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress was found to be 39%, 55% and 41%, respectively. Maladaptation to a new environment by lack of participation in the community and focus on own interests were significant predictors of depression (β = −.39, p< .01) and stress (β = −.36, p< .05), while anxiety was associated with both female gender (β = −.30, p<.05), self-centration and absence of community involvement (β = −.37, p< .01). Conclusions There is a high prevalence of anxiety followed by stress and depression among international medical students. The results highlighted the importance of cultural adaptation for psychological distress. This shows a requirement for developing an adequate, accessible professional counselling and peer support services for foreign students that are necessary to achieve sustainable development goals. Key messages Encouraging researchers to further investigate the needs of international medical students. The development and implementation of health policies addressing student’s mental health.

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Mandatory physical exercise for the prevention of mental illness in medical students

Mental Illness ◽

10.4081/mi.2014.5549 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Robert A. Bitonte ◽

Donald Joseph II DeSanto

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Well Being ◽

Dropping Out ◽

Training Experience ◽

Health Counseling ◽

Positive Effect

Medical students experience higher rates of mental illness than the general population. With competition rising for success in medical school, and residency, increasing incidence of distress are leading this population to experience higher rates of thoughts of dropping out of school, and even suicide. Since many stigmas deter medical students from receiving mental health counseling, such as the perceived inability to handle the stresses of medical school, and the potential lack of competitiveness for residencies if reported, prevention of mental illness may be a better course to take in reducing prevalence in this population. Regular exercise has demonstrated a positive effect on not only promoting physical health, but also mental health. Exercise encourages a healthy mood, positive self esteem, and better cognition, while decreasing the chances of depression, anxiety, and burnout. Implementing exercise time into medical school curriculums, just like the basic sciences, albeit for less time in the day, could provide a feasible way to ensure that all students are taking time to partake in this important activity for their well being. Though medical schools are rigid with attempts to make changes in their curriculum, thirty minutes a day, three to five times a week of exercise of the students’ choice not only is more cost effective than counseling, but it also reduces the chances that they will experience burnout, which if left untreated could transcend into a compromised training experience.

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Effectiveness study of “occupational connections” – A short-term, in-patient intervention for promotion functioning and participation in daily life of people with mental health conditions

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.02.410 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 41 (S1) ◽

pp. S380-S381

Author(s):

L. Lipskaya-Velikovsky ◽

T. Krupa ◽

M. Kotler

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Functional Capacity ◽

Daily Life ◽

Well Being ◽

The Body ◽

Health Conditions ◽

Hospital Treatment ◽

Control Group ◽

Study Group ◽

Mental Health Conditions

ObjectivesMental health conditions (MHC) have been associated with restrictions in daily life participation and functioning affecting health and well-being. Substantial numbers of people with MHC experience hospitalizations, however, there is limited evidence supporting functional interventions in the in-patient setting to promote recovery. The OC is an intervention implemented during sub-acute hospitalization, which attempts to promote activity and participation of people with MHC, both during the in-patient stay and upon return to the community, with a view to enabling recovery. To facilitate its implementation, we investigate the OC effectiveness.AimsInvestigate the OC contribution to cognition, symptoms and functional capacity among inpatients with schizophrenia.MethodsThis is a quasi-experimental, prospective, pre/post-designed study with convenience sampling. Inpatients with schizophrenia were enrolled into the study group participating in the OC intervention (n = 16); or the control group participating in hospital treatment as usual (n = 17). The study participants completed evaluations at baseline and at discharge or after 10 weeks with: Neurocognitive State Examination, Trail Making Test, Ray Complex Figure, and Category Fluency Test for aspects of cognition; Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for symptoms severity, and Observed Tasks of Daily Living-Revised for functional capacity.ResultsStatistically significant improvement in cognitive functioning, symptoms severity and functional capacity was found in the study group after the intervention. These changes were not observed in the control group.ConclusionThe results support the OC effectiveness for cognitive and functional capacity improvement and symptomology relief. The findings advance the body of evidence for functional interventions in hospital settings.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

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Motivation to Improve Mental Wellbeing via Community Physical Activity Initiatives and the Associated Impacts—A Cross-Sectional Survey of UK parkrun Participants

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph182413072 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (24) ◽

pp. 13072

Author(s):

Allison Dunne ◽

Steve Haake ◽

Helen Quirk ◽

Alice Bullas

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Physical Health ◽

Online Survey ◽

Local Community ◽

Health Conditions ◽

Mental Wellbeing ◽

Health Improvement ◽

Mental Health Conditions ◽

The Impact

Participation in regular physical activity is a well-established strategy to support good mental wellbeing in adults with, and without, mental health conditions. The physical activity initiative parkrun is a free, weekly, timed, running and walking event which is attended by people from the local community of all abilities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mental wellbeing of UK parkrun participants along with their motives for taking part and the impact of participation. Mental health conditions were self-reported in 2.5% of 60,000 respondents to an online survey of parkrunners, with the most prevalent being depression and anxiety. Those with mental health conditions were more motivated than those without to first participate in parkrun to manage their health conditions and improve their mental health. Those with mental health conditions were equally motivated to improve their physical health when compared to those without, and reported similar levels of improvement. Mental wellbeing scores for those with mental health conditions were close to the normal range, suggesting that engagement in parkrun may have had a role in limiting the effect of their illness. Community initiatives could replicate parkrun’s model, and use the potential for both mental and physical health improvement, as well as health condition management, as a motivation for participation.

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Overlooked and Unaddressed: A narrative review of mental health consequences of child marriages.

10.31235/osf.io/ew9pn ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rochelle Ann Burgess ◽

Mairi Jeffery ◽

Sabina Odero ◽

Kelly Rose-Clarke ◽

Delanjathan Devakumar

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Emotional Distress ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Well Being ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Health Conditions ◽

Child Marriage ◽

Health Consequences ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Mental Health Conditions

Child Marriage (before the age of 18) affects over 12 million young women globally, annually. Despite acknowledgement of the negative impacts of the practice on reproductive health, mental health consequences are largely overlooked. Given the ability for poor mental health to intensify other health and social challenges, understanding the mental health consequences linked to child marriage is vital. Our study is the first to examine how mental health is approached in current literature on child marriage. Our conceptual framework was informed by a rapid assessment of key issues in the field. Systematic searches of papers published between 2000-2020 were completed on four electronic databases with no language restrictions. Our protocol was registered on Prospero (CRD42019139685). Articles were assessed using PRISMA guidelines, and their quality assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tools. Of the 4,457 records identified, 21 papers meeting inclusion criteria were analysed using narrative synthesis. The final sample included 5 qualitative, 1 mixed-methods and 15 quantitative studies (14 cross-sectional and 1 longitudinal study) reporting on data from 12 countries, largely in the global south. Intimate partner violence, poverty, challenges in childbirth and isolation were identified as social factors linked to emotional distress by those married as children. Depression was the most reported mental disorder. Anxiety, phobias, psychological distress, substance misuse, negative well-being and anti-social personality disorder were reported less frequently. Findings highlight that while significant emotional distress and specific mental health conditions are linked to child marriage, gaps in our understanding remain. Future studies are needed to; clarify directionality in these relationships; understand the mental health needs of young men, LGBTQI communities and those in humanitarian settings. Given the well documented cyclical relationship between social determinants and mental health conditions, we outline a series of community-oriented interventions which blend psychological, social and structural support to promote mental health and wellbeing in the contexts of child marriage.

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Distress among Brazilian university students due to the Covid-19 pandemic: survey results and reflections

10.1101/2020.06.19.20135251 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Carlos Von Krakauer Hübner ◽

Marcella de Lima Bruscatto ◽

Rafaella Dourado Lima

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Medical Students ◽

University Students ◽

Mental Health Center ◽

Well Being ◽

Catholic University ◽

Brazilian Students ◽

Peritraumatic Distress ◽

Health And Well Being

AbstractThe first case of infection with the new coronavirus was identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. In March, the World Health Organization (WHO) defined the disease epidemic as a pandemic. Thus, a quarantine was imposed by many governments. As a consequence, and given that epidemiological outbreaks of infectious diseases, such as Covid-19, are associated with psychological disorders and symptoms of mental illness, researchers at the Shanghai Mental Health Center have created the Covid-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI), in which the results are obtained: normal, mild/moderate distress and severe distress. The main objective of the study was based on the application of CPDI, in order to identify the health and well-being of Brazilian students from different undergraduate courses at the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC/SP) during the Covid-19 pandemic and to test the hypothesis that medical students suffer more than students from other courses. The research is based on a cross-sectional observational study, in which we applied, using Google FormsR, the questions contained in CPDI, among with demographic data: age, sex, educational institution, undergraduate course and school year. The Index was applied online for seven days in which a total of 654 valid responses were obtained: 501 (76.6%) female and 149 (22.8%) male. Regarding age, 333 students (50.91%) were 17-20 years old, 279 (42.66%) between 21-25, 30 (4.59%) between 26-30 and 12 (1.84%) between 31-50. The results indicate that the participants reported significant psychological distress, according to the CPDI score. Practically 90% (87.92%) of the students experienced suffering, while only 12.08% did not suffer. The study provides the first empirical evidence on the level of psychological distress in Brazilian university students during the Covid-19 pandemic. Also, it suggests support and monitoring of university students during and after the pandemic, with effective and efficient intervention in their mental health.Summary boxesSECTION 1Researchers at the Shanghai Mental Health Center have created the Covid-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI), to measure the amount of psychological suffering of the population, due to the pandemic of Coronavirus. Before our research, the survey had been applicated in China and Iran. The main objective of the study was to identify with the survey, the health and well-being of Brazilian students from different undergraduate courses at the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC/SP) during the Covid-19 pandemic and to test the hypothesis that medical students suffer more than students from other courses.SECTION 2The study provides the first empirical evidence on the level of psychological distress in Brazilian university students during the Covid-19 pandemic, practically 90% (87.92%) of the students experienced some suffering.

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“We’re All in the Same Boat” – The Experience of People With Mental Health Conditions and Non-clinical Community Members in Integrated Arts-Based Groups

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.661831 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Aya Nitzan ◽

Hod Orkibi

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Sense Of Belonging ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Conditions ◽

Personal Recovery ◽

Community Members ◽

Mental Health Conditions ◽

Integrated Arts ◽

Clinical Community ◽

The Arts

In recent decades there has been a significant increase in community rehabilitation programs for people with mental health conditions. One such nationwide programs is Amitim in Israel whose mission is to foster the psychosocial rehabilitation of people with mental health conditions in the community. Amitim’s flagship program consists of arts-based groups that integrate participants with mental health conditions and non-clinical community members. To better understand the experiences of participants in these arts-based groups, five focus groups were conducted with participants from 15 integrated arts-based groups. In total, 17 people with mental health conditions and 21 non-clinical community members were interviewed for this qualitative study. Three main themes emerged from the thematic analysis: creation and expression through the arts promote well-being, self-disclosure in a safe space encourages a sense of belonging, and “we are all in the same boat.” The participants underscored the role of creation and expression through the arts in facilitating emotional expression, self-discovery, interpersonal communication, and spiritual elevation. The findings suggest that the facilitators should instill a sense of equality by enabling intergroup acquaintances without labeling participants’ mental health status. Integrated arts-based groups should be accompanied by a mental health professional who can contain and work through complex emotional situations when needed. Arts therapists who specialize in both arts and mental health are particularly suitable for this role. Overall, the interviewees reported that participation in the integrated arts-based groups positively impacted their personal recovery processes by providing a corrective experience of equality as well as enhancing a sense of belonging to the community and social relationships. The participants also reported being empowered by the final artistic event that not only enhanced their sense of visibility, competence, and aspirations for future development in personal, interpersonal, and artistic realms, but also helped to combat both self- and public stigma.

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