Online-Learning due to COVID-19 Improved Mental Health Among Medical Students

Abstract

In reference to the announcement of the pandemic of the new coronavirus 2019-(nCoV), all educational institutions in the Republic of Kazakhstan have switched to online learning (OL). The purpose of this study was to investigate the mental state of the medical students switching to OL in comparison with the mental state of the students who had traditional learning (TL). A repeated questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students ranging from 1st year to 5th year at Astana Medical University in the 2019-2020 academic year. The first study was conducted during the TL (October-November 2019, N = 619), and the second study was conducted during the OL period (April 2020, N = 798). Burnout syndrome, depression, anxiety, somatic symptoms, and satisfaction with academic performance have been studied. The findings revealed that prevalence of the burnout syndrome, depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms decreased after transitioning from TL to OL. However, during the OL period, the prevalence of colleague-related burnout increased, which tells us about the negative impact of OL on students' communication and interpersonal relationships. The most common depression and anxiety symptoms, dissatisfaction with academic performance were among students who indicated a decrease in academic performance during OL. Students who lived alone during the quarantine were more prone to depression during OL. In conclusion, during the quarantine period after the transition from TL to OL, the mental health state of medical students improved, despite the severe conditions of the pandemic.

Medical education challenges and innovations during COVID-19 pandemic

“…49 Interestingly, a cross-sectional study showed that medical students' burnout syndrome, depression, anxiety and somatic symptoms rates decreased during online learning. 62 On the contrary, sleep quality of medical students appears to have deteriorated during the pandemic, with insomnia, difficulties falling asleep and frequent awakening during the night being commonly reported. Decreased appetite was also reported.…”

Impacts of the Covid‐19 pandemic on the health of university students

“…There is now a large body of published, peer‐reviewed research papers assessing the impacts of the pandemic on university students, the majority of these are surveys investigating topics such as student adaptations to online learning, 9–16 Covid‐19 impacts on mental health, 4,5,17–26 or less frequently, both of these factors in parallel 27–30 . Other studies that have taken a broader approach to understand how the pandemic has altered academic, societal, health, lifestyle and behavioural elements of the student experience 31–35 .…”

“…There is now a large body of published, peer-reviewed research papers assessing the impacts of the pandemic on university students, the majority of these are surveys investigating topics such as student adaptations to online learning, [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] Covid-19 impacts on mental health, 4,5,[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] or less frequently, both of these factors in parallel. [27][28][29][30] Other studies that have taken a broader approach to understand how the pandemic has altered academic, societal, health, lifestyle and behavioural elements of the student experience. [31][32][33][34][35] In this commentary we seek to focus more on the medical impacts, and particularly the enormous practical public health challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic for university students.…”

Impact of the first COVID-19 lockdown on study satisfaction and burnout in medical students in Split, Croatia: a cross-sectional presurvey and postsurvey

“… 28 Another study found that e-learning improved medical students’ mental health and decreased their burnout levels. 29 Findings on medical student satisfaction with e-learning programmes and online teaching are currently mixed. In some places, medical students readily accepted the changes in the education format, 30 31 while others reported that students still preferred face-to-face teaching.…”