Impact of the Texas-Wide Premedical Mentoring Program during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the usual processes and support systems related to applying to medical school in the United States. The Texas-Wide Premedical Mentoring Program (TPMP) was established to pair medical student mentors in Texas with medical school applicants attending Texas colleges and universities. Our objective was to demonstrate the effect of the TPMP on application preparedness and self-reported mental health outcomes of program participants. A survey was developed to understand the program's impact on both mentees and mentors. Participants were sent a survey link 3 months after the TPMP launch. In total, 313 participants, comprising 62% premedical student mentees and 38% medical student mentors, completed the survey. Mentees reported a significantly positive effect of the program on anxiety, uncertainty of acceptance, connection to medicine, and making the road to medical school seem less impossible. After participation, mentees felt less alone and reported a positive impact on their perception of the application process. The TPMP positively impacted the mental wellness of both mentees and mentors, and about 80% of mentors felt more fulfilled despite not participating in clinical duties in light of suspensions. In conclusion, program participation was associated with decreasing application knowledge gaps, easing anxiety, and providing alliance for mentees. The TPMP had a similarly positive influence on the mental wellness of mentees and mentors as well as contributed to medical student mentors' sense of fulfillment.

Psychological Distress Among the U.S. General Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic is taking a significant global toll on emotional well-being, but evidence of mental health impacts in the United States remains limited. In April 2020, we conducted an exploratory survey of U.S. residents to understand prevalence of and factors associated with psychological distress during the pandemic. Data collection was conducted using Qualtrics, an online survey platform, and U.S. adult respondents were recruited via Amazon's Mechanical Turk platform. Among 1,366 respondents, 42% (n = 571) reported clinically significant anxiety and 38% (n = 519) reported clinically significant depression. Factors associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms included Hispanic/Latino ethnicity; younger age; lower income; employment as or living with a health care worker-first responder; caregiver status; SARS-CoV-2 infection status; decreased frequency of engagement in healthy behaviors; and changed frequency of engagement in unhealthy behaviors. That some of these factors are associated with elevated distress during the pandemic is not yet widely appreciated and might be useful in informing management of mental health care resources.