Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of medical students and young physicians in Germany: Gender-specific results of an online survey

Marie Halfmann; Noah Castioni; Lea Wetzel; Anne Koopmann; Sarah König; Astrid Schmieder

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23727

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of medical students and young physicians in Germany: Gender-specific results of an online survey

Heliyon. 2023 Dec 19;10(1):e23727. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23727. eCollection 2024 Jan 15.

Authors

Marie Halfmann^{1

2}, Noah Castioni^{1

2}, Lea Wetzel^{1

2}, Anne Koopmann^{1

2}, Sarah König³, Astrid Schmieder⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Mannheim, Germany.
² Feuerlein Centre on Translational Addiction Medicine (FCTS), University of Heidelberg, Germany.
³ Institute for Medical Teaching and Training Research, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Germany.
⁴ Clinic for Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Germany.

Abstract

Background: Healthcare workers and medical students faced new challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Processes within many hospitals were completely disrupted. In addition, the face to face teaching of medical students was drastically reduced. Those at risk of developing mental health problems appear to be younger health care workers and women.

Objective: To investigate potential COVID-19 pandemic-related gender differences in psychological distress among medical students and physicians in their first years of practice.

Design and setting: An anonymous survey was carried out online between December 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022, at the Mannheim Medical Faculty and the Würzburg Medical Faculty, Germany, after obtaining informed consent. Primary outcome measures were changes in anxiety and depression symptoms using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and changes in participants' current quality of life using the WHO Quality of Life BREF.

Results: The results show wave-like courses for perceived anxiety and burden overlapping with the course of the COVID-19 incidence. In comparison to men, women showed a significant higher increase in HADS (p = 0.005) and a reduced life quality (p = 0.007) after COVID-19. Both sexes showed different frequencies of the factors influencing quality of life, with the presence of a previous mental illness and mean anxiety having a significant higher negative impact in women.

Conclusion: Future and young female physicians reported a disproportionate higher burden during COVID-19 compared to their male colleges. These observations suggest an increased need for support and prevention efforts especially in this vulnerable population.

Keywords: Covid-19; Medical students; Mental health; Sex differences.