Polish medical students facing the pandemic—Assessment of resilience, well-being and burnout in the COVID-19 era

Abstract

Introduction Recent reports indicate that COVID-19 pandemic has significant influence on medical professionals’ mental health. Strict limitations in clinical practice and social interactions within academic community, which had to be introduced, could lead to significant psychological distress in medical students. The aim of the study was to assess resilience, well-being and burnout among Polish medical students in the COVID-19 era. Methods The online survey consisting of validated questionnaires assessing resilience (Resilience Scale 14; RS-14), well-being (Medical Student Well-Being Index) and burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory) as well as self-created survey concerning mental health problems, use of stimulants, SARS-CoV-2 infection, work in COVID-19 units, medical education and social attitude towards health care professionals in the pandemic era was distributed via Facebook and other online students’ platforms. 1858 MSs from all polish medical schools agreed to fill in the survey. Results ‘Very low’, ‘low’ and ‘on the low end’ levels of resilience were found in 26%, 19.1% and 26.9% of the study group, respectively. Students with higher resilience level presented better attitude towards online and hybrid classes. 16.8% of respondents stated that they worked, currently work or plan to work voluntarily at the pandemic frontline. In terms of burnout, these respondents presented lower exhaustion (p = 0.003) and cynicism (p = 0.02), and higher academic efficacy (p = 0.002). That group also showed greater resilience (p = 0.046). The SARS-CoV-2 infection among respondents, their relatives and friends did not influence the results. 39.1% of respondents declared the need of the psychological or psychiatric consultation in relation to pandemic challenges. 231 (26.4%) participants previously diagnosed with mental health disorders noticed worsening of their symptoms. Increased intake of alcohol, cigarettes or other stimulants was noticed by 340 (28.6%) respondents. 80.2% of respondents thought that social aversion and mistrust towards doctors increased during the pandemic and part of them claimed it affected their enthusiasm toward medical career. Conclusions The majority of medical students presented low levels of resilience and high burnout at the time of pandemic. Providing necessary support especially in terms of mental health and building up the resilience of this vulnerable group seems crucial to minimize harm of current pandemic and similar future challenges.

The impact of social support and stress on academic burnout among medical students in online learning: The mediating role of resilience

“…Through a emotions, improve self-efficacy, and build up confidence and courage to cope with the crisis (81). Therefore, providing the necessary and proper social support services for medical students who experience high levels of burnout and low levels of resilience (82) during the online learning of the COVID-19 pandemic is crucial, as it might maximize the resilience level of medical students to some extent. For example, schools can offer online psychological counseling services or online courses on mental preparation for public health events for medical students (11).…”

“…Pharasi and Patra (83) concluded that resilience is a protective mechanism against burnout. Through the investigation of medical students, Forycka et al (82) reported that students with a higher level of resilience presented a better attitude toward online courses and showed lower levels of academic burnout.…”

Who Benefits from Fermented Food Consumption? A Comparative Analysis between Psychiatrically Ill and Psychiatrically Healthy Medical Students

“…Thirdly, the types of psychiatric diseases the cohort of psychiatrically ill students suffered from have not been examined. However, based on sociodemographic patterns of the participants, general epidemiological data [ 58 , 59 ], and reported mental health symptoms ( Table 1 ), it may be assumed that “psychiatrically ill” largely refers to depressive and anxiety disorders. The group, therefore, may not be very heterogeneous as it comprises socially active medical students, whose sociodemographic characteristics, health-related behaviors, and academic achievements are comparable to those of healthy students.…”

Subjective Assessments of the Pandemic Situation and Academic Adaptation of University Students

“…According to S. Avijit and co-authors, the level of distress among students while studying using online technologies ranges from its absence (16.67%), mild (40%) to moderate (30.56%), and severe (12.78%) [41]. Students with a higher level of emotional stability demonstrated better attitudes toward online and hybrid classes [42]. Students' preference for online examinations is associated with academic specialization, efforts and time required for preparation, and correspondence of questions with educational material.…”