COVID-19 and mental health: A systematic review of international medical student surveys

Abstract

BackgroundThe medical school curriculum has imposed psychological stressors on students worldwide, some of which may induce feelings of increased depression and anxiety. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the feelings of stress, depression, and anxiety that a portion of medical students experience in their daily life. The aim of this systematic review is to gather concrete data from medical schools around the globe, and further evaluate how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted medical students’ mental health.Materials and methodsSystematic search of data from PubMed, EMBASE, psycINFO, MEDLINE Complete, and Global Health for studies conducted between December 2019 and July 2021 was conducted. Data from 47 different surveys of medical students from various medical institutions throughout the world were included in this review. These surveys, administered in the form of questionnaires that utilized rating scales, measured anxiety, depression, and stress levels in medical students amidst the COVID-19 outbreak.ResultsThe COVID-19 outbreak was found to have negative effects on medical students, most notably causing emotional and behavioral changes and detrimental mental health impacts. Higher levels of stress, depression, and anxiety have been found in medical students since the outbreak.ConclusionThis systematic review highlights the sustained high prevalence of moderate depression, anxiety and stress among medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Appropriate support and research on which interventions could mitigate these risks is essential in order to ensure that future physicians are properly cared for, and ultimately have the adequate tools needed to provide high quality and empathetic care to future patients.

“We’re Not Going to Be as Prepared”: A Qualitative Study of Healthcare Trainees’ Experiences after One Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Fear of contracting the virus is high among college/university students more generally, irrespective of their subject discipline [61,62]. Our findings align with other studies that identified mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in the general population [1][2][3][4], healthcare professional [5][6][7][8] and healthcare trainee samples [10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. For some, the negative impacts of the pandemic on mental wellbeing were mitigated by environmental factors (e.g., good weather lifting mood), social support (e.g., from family members at home), or personality traits (e.g., those who reported introversion traits perceived reduced social contact to be less problematic).…”

“…As the future healthcare workforce, trainees are capable and willing to be involved in global health emergencies [9], although the mental health of healthcare trainees has also been impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic [10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. Systematic reviews and metaanalyses found that student nurses reported suffering from fear, stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance [10,12].…”

“…Systematic reviews and metaanalyses found that student nurses reported suffering from fear, stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance [10,12]. Similarly, rates of stress, anxiety and depression are high in medical trainees [13][14][15][16], and some studies identified evidence of suicidal ideation and burnout [17]. The mental health impacts of the pandemic have influenced healthcare trainees' intentions to leave their training [11].…”

Estudos Avançados Interdisciplinares Volume 25

“…Outros fatores de risco importantes incluíram problemas econômicos, doença mental ou física pré-existente e infecção ou exposição à COVID-19, o que foi consistente com estudos em outras populações. Outras entrevistas qualitativas nesses estudantes de alto risco são necessárias para determinar como esses fatores impactaram a saúde mental dos estudantes de medicina (PAZ et al, 2022).…”

Differences in Stress Perception of Medical Students Depending on in-Person Communication and Online Communication during the COVID−19 Pandemic: A Japanese Cross-Sectional Survey

“…As in other countries [ 7 ], medical students in Japan have experienced psychiatric stress due to changes in the educational environment [ 8 , 9 ]. In a questionnaire survey conducted on medical students regarding students’ subjective psychological distress, it was found that students who expressed concerns about the rapid shift toward online education and anxiety about basic life security were more likely to be depressed and anxious after the surge in COVID-19 cases in Japan (April 2020) [ 9 ].…”