Wellbeing and burnout amongst medical students in England

Int Rev Psychiatry. 2019 Nov-Dec;31(7-8):579-583. doi: 10.1080/09540261.2019.1675960. Epub 2019 Nov 6.

Abstract

The wellbeing of doctors in training is currently under the spotlight. The British Medical Association (BMA) has committed to understanding issues of wellbeing amongst medical students. Medical students from England were asked to complete an online survey pertaining to wellbeing. 84 students responded. Results show 29% of respondents were given a mental health diagnosis whilst at medical school, and 82% could be classified as 'disengaged' and 85% 'exhausted' using the Oldenburg Burnout Scale. This demonstrates the need for further surveys with an increased number of respondents in order to gather more evidence surrounding these high rates of mental health issues. Support and preventative measures for medical students are required.

Keywords: England; Medical students; burnout; mental health; wellbeing.

MeSH terms

  • Burnout, Professional / psychology*
  • Depression / psychology
  • Education, Medical
  • England
  • Female
  • Health Status*
  • Humans
  • Internet
  • Male
  • Mental Health / statistics & numerical data*
  • Stress, Psychological / psychology
  • Students, Medical / psychology
  • Students, Medical / statistics & numerical data*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires