scholarly journals Mental Health and Attitude toward Substance use among Medical Students

2022 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 01-06
Author(s):  
Ali Mohammad-Beigi ◽  
Mahsa Babaei

Introduction: Medical students are important and vulnerable populations. High levels of stress, financial dependency, easy access to substances, and lack of adequate support increase their mental health problems and substance use. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between their mental health status and attitude toward substances. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 157 medical students were enrolled using the convenient sampling method, to answer the Drug Attitude Scale test and General Health Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the SPSS. Results: Mental health is significantly correlated with the attitude toward substance use. The participants in this study had mental health problems in general. Half of them also had a positive attitude and tendency to use substances. Conclusion: Mental health problems and tendency to use the substances were prevalent among medical students. More investigations and designation of therapeutic and preventive programs are necessary especially for vulnerable populations.

Medicina ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Gaia Sampogna ◽  
Giovanni Marcos Lovisi ◽  
Francesca Zinno ◽  
Valeria Del Vecchio ◽  
Mario Luciano ◽  
...  

Background and objectives: The presence of mental health problems in the population of medical students in Italy has been evaluated in several cross-sectional studies, which have used different methodologies and study designs. However, a global overview of the prevalence of mental health problems in Italian medical students is not available, although this would be essential for promoting preventive strategies and supportive treatments. Materials and Methods: An integrative review aiming to describe the prevalence of mental health problems in Italian medical students has been performed. Results: The most relevant findings are the high prevalence of substance use, in particular alcohol and nicotine, and of depressive and anxiety disorders in Italian medical students. In particular, substance use ranges from 13 to 86%, which is higher compared to Italian students coming from other faculties. Italian medical students show a high rate of smoking and of depressive symptoms of about 20%. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the need to develop appropriate supportive interventions for the medical student population, which are rarely provided and implemented among the routine activities of Italian medical universities. A relevant aspect to be considered is the stigma and anticipated discrimination attached to mental disorders, which reduce the help-seeking process in medical students.


2005 ◽  
Vol 186 (4) ◽  
pp. 297-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Isabel Oliver ◽  
Nicky Pearson ◽  
Nicola Coe ◽  
David Gunnell

BackgroundMany people with mental health problems do not seek professional help but their use of other sources of help is unclear.AimsTo investigate patterns of lay and professional help-seeking in men and women aged 16–64 years in relation to severity of symptoms and sociodemographic variables.MethodPostal questionnaire survey, including the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ–12), sent to a stratified random sample (n=15222) of the population of Somerset.ResultsThe response rate was 76%. Only 28% of people with extremely high GHQ–12 scores (⩾8) had sought help from their general practitioner but most (78%) had sought some form of help. Males, young people and people living in affluent areas were the least likely to seek help.ConclusionsHealth promotion interventions to encourage appropriate help-seeking behaviour in young people, particularly in men, may lead to improvements in the mental health of this group of the population.


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirti Gaur ◽  
Usha Ram

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the prevalence and socio-economic determinants of common mental disorders among youth in India. Design/methodology/approach – The study utilizes data from “Youth in India: Situation and Needs 2006-2007”. One-way analysis of variance is used to compare different groups. Poisson regression models are used to test the relationship of household, parental, and individual factors with mental health problems. Findings – An estimated 11-31 million youth suffer from reported mental health problems in India. Results suggest that the household and individual factors like place of residence, wealth quintile, age, education, and occupation are the most important determinants of mental health problems among Indian youth. Parental factors lose their statistical significance once individual factors are controlled. Research limitations/implications – Little is known about correlates of mental health among youth. Strengthening on-going programmes and creating awareness about mental health issues through various programmes may help improve scenario. The two limitations of the study are: first, data covering all the states would have given a broader and clear picture of the issue; and second, due to cross-sectional nature of the data the study is not able to look into the cause-effect relationship. Originality/value – There are few studies which have explored mental health problems covering smaller areas in India. This is the first and the largest study conducted on a representative population of Indian youth to determine the correlates of reported mental health problems using General Health Questionnaire-12.


Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 305
Author(s):  
Tanrin Hiranwong ◽  
Patipan Sitthiprawiat ◽  
Sirinut Siritikul ◽  
Jiraphat Jiwtrakul ◽  
Sirilux Klaychaiya ◽  
...  

(1) Background: Mental well-being and mental health problems are both important, especially among medical students who will be future doctors. The proposed study aimed to explore both positive and negative mental health experiences, especially mistreatment, occurring among medical students in their clinical years. (2) Methods/design: The study will conduct a cross-sectional survey between January 2021 and December 2021, among medical students studying in their clinical years across 23 medical schools throughout Thailand. Measurements regarding character strengths related to medical professionalism as well as other positive mental health strengths and negative mental health problems, e.g., anxiety, depression and experience of mistreatment will be completed. Both medical students and faculty members will be invited to participate in the study. (3) Discussion: this survey will provide an overall picture of medical students’ mental well-being, positive and negative aspects of mental health and the magnitude of mistreatment and perspectives they experience. The limitations of the survey will be discussed.


2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 407-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoffrey Ryan ◽  
Ian Marley ◽  
Melanie Still ◽  
Zaza Lyons ◽  
Sean Hood

Objective: Medical students have higher rates of mental illness compared to the general population. Little is known about services accessed by medical students for mental-health problems. This study aimed to assess the use of mental-health services by Australian medical students and to identify barriers that may prevent students from using mental-health services. Method: A cross-sectional online survey was designed and administered to medical students at the University of Western Australia. Questions focused on self-reported psychological well-being, use of mental-health services, the perceived usefulness of services and barriers to the use of services. Results: The response rate was 41% ( n=286). Sixty-two per cent self-reported experiencing mental-health problems, and of these, 75% had used at least one service. General practitioners and psychiatrists were rated as the most effective service type. The main barriers to seeking help were not enough time, affordability and concerns regarding stigma, including disclosure and peer judgement. Conclusion: A high proportion of students with self-reported mental-health problems had accessed services. However, barriers were also identified. Access to mental-health services needs to be improved, and strategies aimed at reducing stigma and raising awareness of mental-health issues should be encouraged by medical faculties.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Hanani ◽  
Manal Badrasawi ◽  
Souzan Zidan ◽  
Marah Hunjul

Abstract Background: Mental illnesses are widely acknowledged among medical students, at the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant effect on medical students. The main purpose of this study to (1) determine the prevalence of mental disorders among medical students and their associated factors, and (2) to examine the effectiveness of cognitive behaviour therapy on mental health problems among medical students. Methods: Between March and May 2021, we conducted a randomized controlled study on two phases among medical students at An-Najah National University. Data were collected using an online questionnaire and the Arabic version of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). We also used the MEDAS tool to assess their Mediterranean Diet (MD) adherence. In the second phase, sixty-six student were recruited and assigned randomly to control and intervention groups. Intervention impact was assessed using 12-item General Health Questionnaire at two time points; baseline, and 8 weeks post-intervention. The interventional model used was the cognitive behavioral therapy, and the control group received no treatment. Results: A total of 329 students were included in the analysis of the first phase of the study. Approximately 28% of students had mental health problems. We found a significant relationship between good mental health status with higher level of physical activity level, longer sleeping hours and shorter entertainment time (p< 0.05). In the second phase of the study, a total of 91 students were included. Overall, using CBT program showed a significant improvement in the outcome measures. At 8 weeks post-intervention, students had lower scores on total GHQ-12, depression and anxiety, and social dysfunction. Conclusion: These findings propose that adequate attention must be paid to the mental health of medical students, and that CBT program can be used for the management of mental health problems among medical students.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-17
Author(s):  
Laraib Arsh ◽  
Hafiz Abu Safian ◽  
Mahnoor Zafar ◽  
Syed Ambreen Rizvi

Background: Medical personnel has been greatly affected in the face of the catastrophic health emergency owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, which, according to WHO, caused about 1,397,139 deaths worldwide. The objective of this study was to determine the percentage of medical students screened positive for mental health problems at Rawalpindi Medical University during the COVID-19 pandemic and the association of positive screening with gender, year of study, and family income.Materials and Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted on medical students of Rawalpindi Medical University for two months, i.e. May-June, 2020. Data were collected through an online questionnaire containing demographic details and a self-reporting questionnaire (SRQ-20). Statistical analyses were carried out using SPSS v.23.0, and a p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: Overall, 87(33.7%) students were screened positive for mental health problems as per individual SRQ-20 score. Positive screening was found to be higher among female students (34.9% vs 31.4%). Mental health was significantly associated with the year of study (p-value=0.046) but not with family income (p-value=0.119). Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis revealed an adjusted odds ratio of 1.161 (95% CI, P=0.608), 0.841 (95% CI, P=0.032), 0.662 (95% CI, P=0.208) for gender, year of study, and family income respectively. Conclusions: About one-third of medical students are screened positive for mental health problems. Female students are relatively more prone to develop mental health issues.Students with low family income and those studying in the first and second year of MBBS have a high propensity towards mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic.


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