The Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health in Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study in Italy.
Psychol Rep
; : 332941221127632, 2022 Sep 21.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2038473
ABSTRACT
Background:
This study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of the prevalence of anxiety, depression and stress symptoms in Italian medical students and to identify the associated factors. Design andMethods:
A cross-sectional online survey was administered to second-sixth year medical students of the University of Torino, collecting data on the students' sociodemographics, COVID-19 exposure, anxiety, depression and stress symptoms. Three hierarchical regressions adjusted for age, gender and year of study were executed.Results:
The sample size was 1359. The prevalence of anxiety, depression symptoms, moderate perceived stress and severe perceived stress was 47.8%, 52.1%, 56.2% and 28.4%, respectively. The factors associated with mental health symptoms were being a woman, a family history of psychiatric disorders, living off-site, competitive/hostile climates and unsatisfying friendships among classmates, poor relationships with cohabitants, negative judgment of medical school choice, fear of COVID-19 infection, feelings of loneliness, distressing existential reflections, and a worsening psychological condition related to the pandemic. Being in the fourth or sixth year constituted a protective factor for depression symptoms.Conclusions:
Mental health in medical students was associated with both COVID-independent and COVID-related factors. Accessibility to effective interventions must be increased to counteract these changes.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Type of study:
Etiology study
/
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Language:
English
Journal:
Psychol Rep
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
00332941221127632
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