Longitudinal changes in mental health among medical students in China during the COVID-19 epidemic: depression, anxiety and stress at 1-year follow -up.

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of COVID-19 on the mental health of Chinese medical students at 1-year of follow-up. From 2 February 2020 to 23 February 2021, we conducted three waves of research online (T1 = during outbreak, T2 = controlling period, T3 = 1 year after outbreak). The survey collected demographic data and several self reporting questionnaires to measure the depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms. A total of 4002 participants complete the whole research phases. The study major, grade level and gender were the main factors related to psychological distress caused by the COVID-19 crisis. Importantly, medical knowledge has a protective effect on medical students' psychological distress during the COVID-19 period.

Optimizing the Practice Environment for Medical Staff in the Post-pandemic Era: A Discrete Choice Experiment.

Objective: This study aimed to elicit the stated job preferences of Chinese medical staff in the post-pandemic era and identify the relative importance of different factors in the practice environment. Methods: We used an online discrete choice experiment (DCE) survey instrument to elicit the job preferences of medical staff (doctors and nurses) in tertiary hospitals in Anhui, China. Attributes and levels were generated using qualitative methods, and four attributes were considered: career development, workload, respect from society, and monthly income. A set of profiles was created using a D-efficient design. The data were analyzed considering potential preference heterogeneity, using the conditional logit model and the latent class logit (LCL) model. Results: A total of 789 valid questionnaires were included in the analysis, with an effective response rate of 73.33%. Career development, workload, respect from society, and monthly income were significant factors that influenced job preferences. Three classes were identified based on the LCL model, and preference heterogeneity among different medical staff was demonstrated. Class 1 (16.17%) and Class 2 (43.51%) valued respect from society most, whereas Class 3 (40.32%) prioritized monthly income. We found that when respect from society was raised to a satisfactory level (50-75% positive reviews), the probability of medical staff choosing a certain job increased by 69.9%. Conclusion: Respect from society was the most preferred attribute, while workload, monthly income, and career development were all key factors in the medical staff's job choices. The heterogeneity of the medical professionals' preferences shows that effective policy interventions should be customized to accommodate these drive preferences.