Collins Alex, Stroever Stephanie, Baronia Regina, Michaela Jansen, Awal Abdul, Singer Jonathan, Amor Wail, Ibrahim Yasin
Department of Psychiatry, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, USA.
Department of Medical Education, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, USA.
Cureus. 2024 May 20;16(5):e60702. doi: 10.7759/cureus.60702. eCollection 2024 May.
Objective A well-established association exists between academic performance and levels of depression and anxiety among medical students. However, the effects of positive psychological factors on symptoms of depression and anxiety and academic performance have not been adequately studied. This study explores the relationship between the above variables and identifies positive psychological factors that can promote medical student wellbeing. Methods Medical students were surveyed at four time points during their first two years of medical education using Qualtrics. The surveys used a five-point Likert scale to assess students' levels of loneliness, religiosity, engaged living, life fulfillment, resilience, psychological wellbeing, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Academic performance was measured using students' Comprehensive Basic Science Examination scores. Linear mixed effect models with maximum likelihood estimation were used to investigate the relationship between positive psychological factors and scores on depression and anxiety as well as the relationship between demographic and psychological factors and exam scores. Results Seventy-two students completed the study. A significant positive correlation was observed between loneliness and symptoms of depression and anxiety, while the same symptoms had significant negative correlations with engaged living. None of the positive psychological factors were significantly predictive of exam scores. Conclusion Our findings suggest that medical students who develop meaningful relationships and live engaged lives are less likely to develop symptoms of depression and anxiety. Our study lays the groundwork for future research focusing on identifying and implementing pre-clinical curriculum changes aiming to improve medical students' mental health.
目的 医学生的学业成绩与抑郁和焦虑水平之间存在既定的关联。然而，积极心理因素对抑郁和焦虑症状以及学业成绩的影响尚未得到充分研究。本研究探讨上述变量之间的关系，并确定能够促进医学生幸福感的积极心理因素。方法 使用Qualtrics在医学生医学教育的前两年中的四个时间点对他们进行调查。调查采用五点李克特量表来评估学生的孤独感、宗教信仰、积极生活、生活满意度、心理韧性、心理健康以及抑郁和焦虑症状的水平。学业成绩通过学生的综合基础科学考试成绩来衡量。使用最大似然估计的线性混合效应模型来研究积极心理因素与抑郁和焦虑得分之间的关系，以及人口统计学和心理因素与考试成绩之间的关系。结果 72名学生完成了研究。孤独感与抑郁和焦虑症状之间观察到显著的正相关，而相同症状与积极生活之间存在显著的负相关。没有一个积极心理因素能显著预测考试成绩。结论 我们的研究结果表明，建立有意义的人际关系并积极生活的医学生患抑郁和焦虑症状的可能性较小。我们的研究为未来的研究奠定了基础，这些研究将专注于识别和实施旨在改善医学生心理健康的临床前课程改革。
