Strand Elizabeth B, Brandt Jennifer, Rogers Kenita, Fonken Laurie, Chun Ruthanne, Conlon Peter, Lord Linda
J Vet Med Educ. 2017 Summer;44(2):260-267. doi: 10.3138/jvme.0816-123R. Epub 2017 Mar 27.
This research explores Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) among veterinary medical students across six academic institutions of veterinary medicine, and their relationship with depression, stress, and desire to become a veterinarian. Between April 1, 2016, and May 23, 2016, 1,118 veterinary medical students in all 4 years of the curriculum (39% response rate) completed an anonymous web-based questionnaire about ACEs, depression using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CESD), stress using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the age at which they wanted to become a veterinarian. Sixty-one percent (677) of respondents reported having at least one ACE. The most prevalent ACE reported was living with a household member with a mental illness (31%). Students who had experienced four or more ACEs had an approximately threefold increase in signs of clinical depression and higher than average stress when compared to students who had experienced no ACEs. The number of ACEs showed an overall graded relationship to signs of clinical depression and higher than average stress. There was no statistically significant relationship between age at which a student wanted to become a veterinarian and exposure to ACEs. Veterinary students report being exposed to ACEs before age 18 at a rate similar to that of other population-based studies. These findings do not suggest that veterinary students enter the veterinary medical education system more at risk for poor mental health due to ACEs than the general population.
本研究探讨了六所兽医学院校的兽医专业学生童年不良经历(ACEs)情况,以及这些经历与抑郁、压力和成为兽医的意愿之间的关系。在2016年4月1日至2016年5月23日期间,该课程四年制的1118名兽医专业学生(回复率为39%)完成了一份关于ACEs、使用流行病学研究中心抑郁量表(CESD)评估的抑郁情况、使用感知压力量表(PSS)评估的压力情况以及他们想成为兽医的年龄的匿名网络问卷。61%(677名)的受访者报告至少有一次ACE。报告中最常见的ACE是与患有精神疾病的家庭成员一起生活(31%)。与未经历过ACEs的学生相比,经历过四次或更多ACEs的学生临床抑郁症状增加了约三倍,且压力高于平均水平。ACEs的数量与临床抑郁症状和高于平均水平的压力总体呈分级关系。学生想成为兽医的年龄与接触ACEs之间没有统计学上的显著关系。兽医专业学生报告在18岁之前接触ACEs的比例与其他基于人群的研究相似。这些发现并不表明兽医专业学生因ACEs而进入兽医医学教育系统时心理健康状况不佳的风险比普通人群更高。