Impact of COVID-19 on medical students’ mental wellbeing in Jordan

COVID-19 has spread throughout the world and has resulted in significant morbidity, mortality, and negative psychological impact. This prospective cross-sectional study is exploring the effect of the pandemic on mental health of medical students. The study was conducted at six Jordanian medical schools using an online survey to collect students’ socio-demographic and academic data. Assessment of mental wellbeing status was done using Kessler’s psychological stress scale (K10); the impact of COVID-19 on life activities and strategies followed to manage the situation were also examined. A total of 553 medical students were recruited for the study. Men constituted 40.1%, and women were 59.9%. Students reported that COVID-19 has affected the aspects of physical fitness (73.1%), study (68.4%), and social relationships (65.6%) the most. Sixty-six percent of the students were concerned about family members’ affection, and more than half (58.4%) explained their concerns about the inability to get clinical sessions and labs. Cooking, baking, and hobby practicing were the most popular methods to improve their mental wellbeing. About half of the participants had a severe mental disorder, and only 13.2% were likely to be well. The study indicates that half of our medical students suffer severe mental disorders, with physical fitness, exercise, and studying being among the most affected aspects during the COVID 19 pandemic. It is recommended that measures need be taken to alleviate students’ stress, which might have deleterious effects in many aspects.

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The Impact of Covid-19 on Medical Students: A Cross Sectional Survey

10.53350/pjmhs2115112905 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 2905-2909

Author(s):

Rakesh Kumar ◽

Haresh Kumar ◽

Rakhi Kumari ◽

Jawed Dars ◽

Shahzaib Qureshi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Living Arrangements ◽

Online Survey ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

High Rate ◽

P Value ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Impact

Aim: To understand the psychological impact of COVID – 19 on Medical Students of a private sector Medical University in Karachi, Pakistan. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students studying at Hamdard College of Medicine and Dentistry, Karachi, Pakistan. The data collection was done through online survey from July 2020 to December 2020. The study aimed to gather data from many medical students. A total number of 420 students were participated from Hamdard College of Medicine and Dentistry in Karachi, Pakistan. The participants were selected from all years of MBBS and BDS programs . Results: Out of 420 participants, 236 (56.2%) were male and 184 (43.8%) female, with a male:female ration of 1.28:1. Majority of participants were single as 411 (97.9%), of 224 (53.3%) students living with their family, 150 (35.7%) in hostel and 46 (11%) living with friends. In our sample 369 (87.9%) students studying in MBBS program while only 51 (12.1%) BDS, among those 80 (19%) medical students were in first year, followed by 122 (29%) second year, 65 (15.5%) third year, 54 (12.9%) fourth year and 99 (23.6%) studying in final year. IES-R scale and results shows 75 (17.9%) reported that PTSD is a clinical concern, probable diagnosis of PTSD 28 (6.7%) and majority rated as high enough to PTSD 133 (31.7%). Impact of event (revised) scale shows significant association with age and year of study with p value 0.026 and 0.002 respectively. Based on the PHQ9 scale, Gender, Living arrangements and the program enrolled in were reported significant association with depression p values 0.059, 0.008 and 0.006 respectively. Conclusion: Findings suggests high rate of anxiety, depression, and signs of PTSD in medical students due to COVID-19 which needs pressing attention and provision of professional help from mental health practitioners. Keywords: Impact, Covid-19, Medical students

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The Impact of exposure to screen during COVID-19 Lockdown on the General health of students in Punjab, Pakistan

Medical & Clinical Research ◽

10.33140/mcr.06.07.04 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (7) ◽

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Screen Time ◽

General Health ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Mental Wellbeing ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Dry Eyes ◽

Mental Symptoms ◽

The Impact

Background: Since Covid-19 was declared a pandemic and a worldwide lockdown was imposed, it was predicted that there would be an increase in screen usage, especially among students, which could potentially have a lot of negative symptomology associated with it. Objective: The objective of our study was to determine the extent of screen exposure among medical students during lockdown and to study the symptoms that they faced due to it along with their frequency. Methods: In our descriptive cross-sectional study, we distributed the specifically designed questionnaire through online media to the concerned population, in order to gather important data about the physical and mental symptoms experienced by the medical students as a result of excessive screen exposure. Results: Of the 400 participants, 93.75 % reported an increase in screen time during the lockdown. As a consequence of increased screen usage, 207 (51.75%) of the participants reported headache, 267 (66.75%) reported fatigue, 283 (70.75%) reported eye strain, 121 (30.25%) reported dry eyes, 143 (35.75%) reported blurry vision, 154 (38.5%) reported teary eyes, 154 (38.5%) reported ear ache, 247 (61.75%) reported neck and back stiffness and 148 (37%) participants agreed to having experienced fingers and hand fatigue. We also established that increasing screen time was associated with a progressive decrease in physical activity (p=0.11) and increase in food consumption (p=0.002). A significant association was also recorded with weight gain (p=0.03). We found that the students previously diagnosed with a refractive error were more likely to complain of eye strain (p=0.004) and those diagnosed with migraine experienced more screen related headache (p=0.001). Of the 11 symptoms related to mental health in the questionnaire, students with screen usage of less than 4 hours marked a median of 2 symptoms, those with screen time of 4-8 hours marked a median of 4 symptoms and those with a screen usage >8 hours ticked a median of 5 symptoms. Students who had been diagnosed with anxiety or depression in the past checked an average of 5.24 symptoms while those with no such diagnosis had only 3.51 symptoms on average. Conclusion: The results proved a potential impact on the general health of the medical students. A significant increase in weight was observed along with other serious short and long term effects on their physical and mental wellbeing.

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Participation in physical activity decreased more in people with rheumatoid arthritis than the general population during the COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-sectional study

Rheumatology International ◽

10.1007/s00296-021-05054-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Christopher Balchin ◽

Ai Lyn Tan ◽

Oliver J. Wilson ◽

Jim McKenna ◽

Antonios Stavropoulos-Kalinoglou

Keyword(s):

Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Body Weight ◽

Online Survey ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Mental Wellbeing ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Impact ◽

Exercise Equipment

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing restrictions have significantly reduced population-wide physical activity (PA) levels. However, the impact of the pandemic and relevant restrictions on PA participation, and any potential barriers to it, in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are not clear. Furthermore, we are unsure if any such PA changes have affected their body weight, mental wellbeing, and/or quality of life (QoL). Thus, the aim of this study was to examine the impact of the lockdown on PA participation in people with RA, versus people without RA. Participants (n = 128; RA = 27, non-RA = 101) completed a self-administered online survey, which included questions on PA, body weight, mental wellbeing and QoL. PA participation during lockdown was significantly lower among RA versus non-RA participants (p < 0.001). Additionally, a similar profile of results was found where more RA participants vs non-RA participants reported reduced habitual PA (59% vs 33%) and increased body weight (59% vs 35%). Mental wellbeing scores were similarly low in both groups during lockdown (RA: 20.8 ± 4.2; non-RA: 22.2 ± 3.4, p = 0.080). Matched group comparisons identified similar trends to full sample analyses. In the first months of the lockdown, more people with RA reported decreased PA participation and increased body weight than their non-RA counterparts. Access to exercise equipment and facilities appears to be the main cause for these results. Looking beyond COVID-19, specific PA promotion for people with RA will be required to prevent a pandemic of inactivity.

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COVID-19 and Students’ Mental Wellbeing: A Cross-Sectional Study across Selected Nigerian Universities

Journal of Education Society and Behavioural Science ◽

10.9734/jesbs/2021/v34i1130377 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 176-186

Author(s):

David B. Olawade ◽

Ojima Z. Wada ◽

Fiyinfoluwa T. Asaolu ◽

Aderonke Odetayo ◽

Oluwabusayomi O. Akeju ◽

...

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Online Survey ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Well Being ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Mental Wellbeing ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Tertiary Institution ◽

Southwestern Nigeria ◽

Cross Sectional

The emergence of the coronavirus pandemic has affected the global population in an unprecedented way, which has disrupted livelihoods, as well as social activities including the closure of schools. The effect of the pandemic and the associated lockdown measures amplified the mental status of tertiary institution students in Nigeria, which has not been taken into proper view. To this effect, this study was conducted to assess the extent to which the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown measures impacted the mental health of tertiary university students in Southwestern, Nigeria. A cross-sectional online survey, using the standardized Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) depression and anxiety questionnaires were used, and appropriate summary statistics were carried out. In all (122 respondents), more than a third (35.5%) of the respondents had daily uncontrolled worries, 6.7% had suicidal intent, and over a tenth (14.2%) and (13.9%) had depression and anxiety respectively. The psychological impact of the coronavirus pandemic and associated lockdown measures on Nigerian university students is quite significant. Therefore, the mental well-being of Nigerian students should be taken into awareness and prioritized.

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Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Confinement and Its Relationship with Meditation

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17186642 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (18) ◽

pp. 6642 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Óliver Jiménez ◽

Laura C. Sánchez-Sánchez ◽

José M. García-Montes

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Protective Factor ◽

Short Form ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Self Compassion ◽

Key Variables ◽

The Impact

The objective of this study was to evaluate the psychological impact of confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, considering any protective factors, such as the practice of meditation or self-compassion, and their relationship with different lifestyles and circumstances of adults residing in Spain. A cross-sectional study was done using an anonymous online survey in which 412 participants filled out the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-2; the Impact of Events Scale; and the Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form, reporting severe symptomatology of posttraumatic stress and mild anxiety and depression. Quality of cohabitation and age were found to be key variables in the psychological impact of confinement. The impact of confinement was more negative for those who reported very poor cohabitation as opposed to very good (F (3, 405) = 30.75, p ≤ 0.001, d = 2.44, r = 0.054) or for those under 35 years of age compared to those over 46 (F (2, 409) = 5.14, p = 0.006, d = 0.36). Practicing meditation was not revealed as a protective factor, but self-compassion was related to better cohabitation during confinement (F (3, 403) = 11.83, p ≤ 0.001, d = 1.05). These results could be relevant in designing psychological interventions to improve coping and mental health in other situations similar to confinement.

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Quantifying empathy levels among UK undergraduate medical students: an online survey

British Journal of General Practice ◽

10.3399/bjgp20x711293 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 70 (suppl 1) ◽

pp. bjgp20X711293

Author(s):

Sarah Garnett ◽

Hajira Dambha-Miller ◽

Beth Stuart

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Medical School ◽

Curriculum Design ◽

Online Survey ◽

Mental Wellbeing ◽

Reactivity Index ◽

Free Text ◽

Undergraduate Medical Students ◽

Cross Sectional

BackgroundEmpathy is a key health care concept and refers to care that incorporates understanding of patient perspective’s, shared decision making, and consideration of the broader context in which illness is experience. Evidence suggests experiences of doctor empathy correlate with improved health outcomes and patient satisfaction. It has also been linked to job satisfaction, and mental wellbeing for doctors. To date, there is a paucity of evidence on empathy levels among medical students. This is critical to understand given that it is a key point at which perceptions and practices of empathy in the longer term might be formed.AimTo quantify the level of empathy among UK undergraduate medical studentsMethodAn anonymised cross-sectional online survey was distributed to medical students across three universities. The previously validated Davis’s Interpersonal Reactivity Index was used to quantify empathy. The survey also collected information on age, sex, ethnicity, year of medical school training and included a free-text box for ‘any other comments’.ResultsData analysis is currently underway with high response rates. Mean empathy scores by age, sex, year of study and ethnic group are presented. A correlation analysis will examine associations between age and year of study, and mean empathy sores.ConclusionThese data will help to provide a better understanding of empathy levels to inform the provision of future empathy training and medical school curriculum design. Given previous evidence linking experiences of empathy to better health outcomes, the findings may also be significant to future patient care

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A Cross-National Study of Dementia Stigma Among the General Public in Israel and Australia

Journal of Alzheimer s Disease ◽

10.3233/jad-210277 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Perla Werner ◽

Sarang Kim

Keyword(s):

General Public ◽

Cultural Context ◽

Online Survey ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

National Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Subjective Knowledge ◽

Cultural Aspects ◽

The Impact ◽

Cross National

Background: Despite the increasing amount of research on dementia stigma, there is a dearth of cross-national studies conducted on this subject. This is surprising since the experience of stigma is closely associated to socio-cultural aspects. Objective: The present study intended to expand knowledge about the impact of culture on dementia stigma by comparing the level and correlates of stigmatic beliefs about dementia among the general public in Israel and Australia. Methods: A cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted with two age-matched samples: 447 adults in Israel and 290 adults in Australia. Results: Overall, dementia stigma was moderate in both countries. However, the level of dementia stigma was significantly higher in Australia than in Israel. Lower levels of subjective knowledge and higher levels of ageism were associated with increased levels of stigmatic beliefs in both countries. Gender was a significant correlate of dementia stigma, with male participants reporting higher levels of public stigma than women, although this gender difference was mainly driven by the Australian sample. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that providing knowledge and decreasing ageist attitudes should be key considerations in dementia awareness and stigma reduction campaigns despite the cultural context. In addition, developing gender-specific messages should be considered as a way of improving the effects of such campaigns.

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Resilience, pessimism, and depression in undergraduates in Hong Kong during Covid-19: A cross-sectional online survey study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.29117 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Min Yi Sum ◽

Sherry Kit Wa Chan ◽

Gloria Hoi Yan Wong

Keyword(s):

Hong Kong ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Family Conflict ◽

Online Survey ◽

Mental Wellbeing ◽

Survey Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Mediation Analyses ◽

The Impact

BACKGROUND Adolescence and young adulthood is a period of heightened risk of mental disorders onset. The Covid-19 pandemic may have impacted the daily lives and learning of students, exposing them to risks of emotional distress. Understanding factors associated with individual differences in distress can inform remedial strategies for schools. OBJECTIVE To investigate the impact of Covid-19 on undergraduate students’ lifestyle and learning, and explore relationship between depressive symptoms, resilience, and optimism/pessimism bias in undergraduate students in Hong Kong. METHODS Cross-sectional online survey of undergraduate students in a university (n=1020) before and during the third wave of Covid-19 outbreak in Hong Kong between May and August 2020. Changes in habits and family conflicts, depressive symptoms (measured using Patient Health Questionnaire-9), resilience (measured using Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale), optimism/pessimism towards Covid-19 risks, and knowledge about Covid-19 were recorded. Multivariable linear regression and mediation analyses were used to explore relationships with depressive symptoms. RESULTS 61.7% of respondents have mild to severe depressive symptoms. The regression model found that 18.5% of the variance in depressive symptoms was explained by resilience, pessimism bias, changes in sleep, decrease in study at home, and increase in family conflict. Mediation analysis showed that resilience is indirectly related to depressive symptoms through its relationship with pessimism (ab = -0.042, CI = -0.057 to -0.013). Higher resilience was associated with lower depressive symptoms even after accounting for resilience’s indirect effect through pessimism (c’ = 0.311, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS The findings highlight the mental health vulnerability of undergraduate students. Measures to reduce family conflict, maintain healthy daily habits, adjust optimism/pessimism bias, and enhance resilience may be useful for improving the mental wellbeing of undergraduate students during the pandemic.

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A Cross Sectional Study on the Psychological Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Schoolteachers in Andhra Pradesh

Journal of Evidence Based Medicine and Healthcare ◽

10.18410/jebmh/2021/537 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (32) ◽

pp. 2938-2942

Author(s):

Ganga Raju Godasi ◽

Abdul Salaam Mohammed ◽

Raj Kiran Donthu ◽

Jaya Prakash Nunna

Keyword(s):

Andhra Pradesh ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Nonparametric Tests ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Urban Background ◽

Equal Distribution ◽

R Language ◽

Rural And Urban ◽

The Impact

BACKGROUND COVID-19 is a novel disease caused by Coronavirus. It was declared a pandemic by WHO in March 2020. To reduce the impact of the disease lockdown was imposed by various governments. This has a psychological impact on various groups of people. Schoolteachers are no less affected. There is scarcity in our understanding of the psychological impact among schoolteachers. This study is an attempt to understand the psychological impact among schoolteachers. We wanted to study the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on schoolteachers. METHODS The study was a cross-sectional one and conducted using online Google forms. A total of seventy-nine schoolteachers were included in the study analysis. The data were analysed using R language; nonparametric tests like Mann Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis test were used. The data obtained were tabulated and discussed. RESULTS Nearly half the sample belongs to 46 to 55 years, males constitute 57 %, majority of the participants were married, there was an equal distribution from a rural and urban background and teachers working in Government setup were 86 %. Females had significantly higher levels of depression and stress. Married had significantly higher levels of depression. Moderate to severe levels of depression, anxiety and stress were seen in 2.6 %, 10 %, and 2.5 % of the participants. CONCLUSIONS The study has found an increase in psychological impact among the schoolteachers. But the reported increase is less than that observed during the peak of the pandemic. Females have more depression and stress compared to males. KEYWORDS COVID-19, Mental Disorders, Pandemic, Schoolteachers

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Profilaxia Pré-Exposição para o Vírus da Imunodeficiência Humana no Currículo Médico em Portugal: Uma Análise Transversal

Acta Médica Portuguesa ◽

10.20344/amp.15446 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 35 (13) ◽

Author(s):

Francisco Duarte ◽

Nuno Rua ◽

David Gomes ◽

Vasco Ricoca Peixoto ◽

Daniela Azevedo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Online Survey ◽

Descriptive Analysis ◽

Medical Schools ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Associated ◽

School Year ◽

Exposure Prophylaxis

Introduction: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has gained relevance as a method of prevention for HIV in certain people and settings. Following the publication of the guideline on PrEP prescribing in Portugal, we aimed to assess the knowledge of Portuguese Medical Students about PrEP.Material and Methods: An online survey was sent to Medical students of Portuguese Medical Schools. We conducted a descriptive analysis of the results and an analytic cross-sectional study to identify factors associated with “knowing about PrEP”, “having had one class about PrEP” and “identifying eligible groups correctly”.Results: Of the 796 students that responded to the survey, 64.6% were aware of what PrEP is. Of these, 34.44% acquired this knowledge during their training. Out of the total amount of respondents, 4.77% could identify correctly and completely the eligible groups for PrEP. As the training years went by, the probability of being aware of PrEP, having had one class about PrEP, and identifying the eligible groups correctly, increased. Of the sixth-year students, 43.48% had had one class about PrEP and among the students that were aware of PrEP, 28% identified what the eligible groups were. After adjusting for the school year, we found differences between Medical Schools regarding the outcomes. The association between the different ways of learning about PrEP and the ability to correctly identify eligible groups for PrEP was not statistically significant.Conclusion: The differences between Medical Schools could be harmonized through changes in the medical curricula that would allow this topic to be addressed more often.

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