Mental health of medical students during the COVID19: Impact of studies years

Aziz Essadek; Florence Gressier; Marion Robin; Gérard Shadili; Lise Bastien; Jean-Christophe Peronnet; Bruno Falissard; Thomas Rabeyron

doi:10.1016/j.jadr.2022.100318

Mental health of medical students during the COVID19: Impact of studies years

J Affect Disord Rep. 2022 Apr:8:100318. doi: 10.1016/j.jadr.2022.100318. Epub 2022 Feb 9.

Authors

Aziz Essadek¹, Florence Gressier^{2

3}, Marion Robin^{3

4}, Gérard Shadili⁴, Lise Bastien¹, Jean-Christophe Peronnet¹, Bruno Falissard^{3

5}, Thomas Rabeyron¹

Affiliations

¹ Laboratoire INTERPSY, Université Lorraine, Nancy, France.
² Department of Psychiatry, Bicêtre University Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris Sud, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France.
³ Epidemiological and Public Health Research Centre, INSERM 1018, Villejuif, France.
⁴ Institut Mutualiste Montsouris, Paris, France.
⁵ Department of Public health, School of Medecine, University Paris Saclay, Villejuif, France.

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had led to severe education disruption in many countries, including for medical students (MS). We aimed to evaluate MS mental health in France and search for a difference depending on studies' years and clinical activities.

Methods: In a cross-sectional, survey-based study during the first confinement, 668 (8.35%) MS were compared to 7 336 non-medical students (non-MS) (91.65%). The PHQ-9 (≥ 10), the GAD-7 (≥ 8), and the IES-R (≥ 26) were collected to assess depressive, anxiety, and distress symptoms. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed.

Results: MS reported significant psychological distress (depressive symptoms: 38.17%, anxiety: 38.77% and distress: 36.83%). Compared to non-MS, they reported less significant depressive (OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67-0.91; P = .007) and distress symptoms (OR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.62-0.87; P < .001), after taking into account potential confounding variables including COVID-19 diagnosis. First year-MS reported higher rates of significant psychological distress than MS with clinical activities. Moreover, depressive symptoms' rates were higher among MS with COVID-19 diagnosis (OR, 2.61; 95% CI, 1.21-6.13; P = .016).

Conclusions: Special attention should be offered to first year-MS and MS with COVID-19 diagnosis. Systematic companionship could be implemented for first year MS, and systematic psychiatric/psychological consultations for students with COVID-19 diagnosis.

Keywords: Anxiety; COVID-19; Depression; Distress; Medical students; Mental Health.