Stress and associated factors with received and needed support in medical students during COVID-19 pandemic: a multicenter study / 한국의학교육

Purpose@#The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a global health crisis that has impacted daily life due to the policies created to contain the outbreak. Recent studies showed that medical students, a high-stress population, experienced deteriorated mental well-being during the pandemic. The aim of the present study was to assess stress and the need for support among Thai medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic, as a multicenter study. @*Methods@#The present study was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study which collected data from second through sixth year medical students. Data was collected during the pandemic from multiple medical schools spanning all six regions of Thailand. Questionnaires included: demographic data; the Thai version of the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (T-PSS-10) assessing stress level and the sources of stress; and the received supports from medical schools, the satisfaction with the supports, and the further necessary needs. @*Results@#There were 1,395 medical students who responded to the questionnaires. Mean T-PSS-10 score was 17.8. Most of the sources of stress were related to the changing of teaching and evaluation system. Students residing in larger medical schools were significantly more satisfied with received support and tended to gain greater support than those in medium and small sized schools. Stress-relieving activities arrangement was considered the most sought after additional support by students. @*Conclusion@#Medical student stress levels were higher during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic levels. Stress relieving activities, availability and access to mental health resources, and other strategies to reduce stress among medical students are urgently needed.

Stress and associated factors with received and needed support in medical students during COVID-19 pandemic: a multicenter study / 한국의학교육

Purpose@#The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a global health crisis that has impacted daily life due to the policies created to contain the outbreak. Recent studies showed that medical students, a high-stress population, experienced deteriorated mental well-being during the pandemic. The aim of the present study was to assess stress and the need for support among Thai medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic, as a multicenter study. @*Methods@#The present study was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study which collected data from second through sixth year medical students. Data was collected during the pandemic from multiple medical schools spanning all six regions of Thailand. Questionnaires included: demographic data; the Thai version of the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (T-PSS-10) assessing stress level and the sources of stress; and the received supports from medical schools, the satisfaction with the supports, and the further necessary needs. @*Results@#There were 1,395 medical students who responded to the questionnaires. Mean T-PSS-10 score was 17.8. Most of the sources of stress were related to the changing of teaching and evaluation system. Students residing in larger medical schools were significantly more satisfied with received support and tended to gain greater support than those in medium and small sized schools. Stress-relieving activities arrangement was considered the most sought after additional support by students. @*Conclusion@#Medical student stress levels were higher during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic levels. Stress relieving activities, availability and access to mental health resources, and other strategies to reduce stress among medical students are urgently needed.

Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies (DIGS): validity, inter-rater and test-retest reliability of the Thai version (Th-DIGS)

Objective: To study the diagnostic validity, inter-rater reliability, and test-retest reliability of the Th-DIGS. Methods: The DIGS was translated into Thai. The accuracy and understandability was assured by back translation, consensus review and a pilot interview. The studied subjects were recruited from three major referral mental health centers in central Thailand. We recruited a total of 170 subjects with clinical psychiatric diagnoses and 33 controls. The referral psychiatric diagnoses were schizophrenia (n=33), major depressive disorder (n=31), bipolar I disorder (n=32), alcohol dependence (n=39), amphetamine dependence (n=35). To study validity and inter-rater reliability, we interviewed the subjects with the Th-DIGS by a trained interviewer in the presence of a co-rater who simultaneously completed the Th-DIGS. Approximately four weeks later, we re-interviewed the subjects using the Th-DIGS by a third independent interviewer to study the test-retest reliability. We then calculated the diagnosis concurrent validity, inter-rater and test-retest reliability of the Th-DIGS. Results: The overall kappa of concurrent validity was 0.82 with 93.6% sensitivity and 95.0% specificity. The overall kappa coefficients of inter-rater reliability and the test-retest reliability were 0.89 and 0.78, respectively. The excellent validity and reliability are robust to most diagnoses. The concurrent validity of alcohol dependence and the test-retest reliability of controls, major depressive disorder and alcohol dependence were in fair-to-good range. Moreover, the Th-DIGS also reliably discriminated normal controls from subjects with psychiatric disorders. Conclusion: The Th-DIGS has been developed. The study in Thai subjects demonstrated a good-toexcellent validity, inter-rater and test-retest reliability. This indicates that the Th-DIGS is a highly valid and reliable instrument for use in psychiatric studies, and studies of a variety of psychiatric disorders including alcohol dependence and amphetamine dependence.

Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies (DIGS): validity, inter-rater and test-retest reliability of the Thai version (Th-DIGS)

Objective: To study the diagnostic validity, inter-rater reliability, and test-retest reliability of the Th-DIGS. Methods: The DIGS was translated into Thai. The accuracy and understandability was assured by back translation, consensus review and a pilot interview. The studied subjects were recruited from three major referral mental health centers in central Thailand. We recruited a total of 170 subjects with clinical psychiatric diagnoses and 33 controls. The referral psychiatric diagnoses were schizophrenia (n=33), major depressive disorder (n=31), bipolar I disorder (n=32), alcohol dependence (n=39), amphetamine dependence (n=35). To study validity and inter-rater reliability, we interviewed the subjects with the Th-DIGS by a trained interviewer in the presence of a co-rater who simultaneously completed the Th-DIGS. Approximately four weeks later, we re-interviewed the subjects using the Th-DIGS by a third independent interviewer to study the test-retest reliability. We then calculated the diagnosis concurrent validity, inter-rater and test-retest reliability of the Th-DIGS. Results: The overall kappa of concurrent validity was 0.82 with 93.6% sensitivity and 95.0% specificity. The overall kappa coefficients of inter-rater reliability and the test-retest reliability were 0.89 and 0.78, respectively. The excellent validity and reliability are robust to most diagnoses. The concurrent validity of alcohol dependence and the test-retest reliability of controls, major depressive disorder and alcohol dependence were in fair-to-good range. Moreover, the Th-DIGS also reliably discriminated normal controls from subjects with psychiatric disorders. Conclusion: The Th-DIGS has been developed. The study in Thai subjects demonstrated a good-toexcellent validity, inter-rater and test-retest reliability. This indicates that the Th-DIGS is a highly valid and reliable instrument for use in psychiatric studies, and studies of a variety of psychiatric disorders including alcohol dependence and amphetamine dependence.