medical education really stressful? A prospective study in Selcuk University, Turkey

ABSTRACT

To explore, if medical education is really a risk factor for medical students' well-being due to their various type of exposures and the resultant psychological morbidity, reported A prospective questionnaire based study Selcuk University Meram Medical Faculty, Konya, Turkey New entrants to the medical faculty A self-administered questionnaire consisting of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS] with demographic variables and questions related to visions about medical career was administered prospectively. The important life events, challenges confronted and suicidal ideas were evaluated. Anxiety and depression levels During three years, 138 [84.1%], 98 [62.8%] and 101 [64.7%] students answered the questionnaire and the mean anxiety scores were 7.35 +/- 3.17, 8.47 +/- 4.26 and 7.36 +/- 4.14, respectively [p = 0.05]. The mean depression score of 5.03 +/- 3.37 in the first year in creased to 6.66 +/- 4.11 in the second year and decreased to 5.62 +/- 3.62 in the third year [p = 0.00]. Male students had higher depression than females in all three assessments [p < 0.05]. In Y3, students who did not make informed decisions were feeling more anxiety [p = 0.00]. Students who had suicidal idea had higher scores in HADS [p < 0.05]. Medical education uniquely did not seem to be a stressful process for medical students. Out of school problems seem to be worsening their psychology more than the school problems they faced as negative events and as the reasons of their suicidal idea