 Medical students and COVID-19: the need for pandemic preparedness

Author: Lorcan O’Byrne, Blánaid Gavin, Fiona McNicholas

Publication: BMJ Journals 
Published: June 3, 2020
https://jme.bmj.com/content/46/9/623?fbclid=IwAR0Ua65q-
eSPpbBVGlO4V1Vf3rVyX0WArWGscJQe5V6lOKWSmIGrWiwiFtw

O’Byrne, L., Gavin B., & McNicholas, F. (2020). Medical students and COVID-19: the need for
pandemic preparedness. Journal of Medical Ethics 2020;46:623-626. Retrieved from
https://jme.bmj.com/content/46/9/623?fbclid=IwAR0Ua65q-
eSPpbBVGlO4V1Vf3rVyX0WArWGscJQe5V6lOKWSmIGrWiwiFtw

The rapid transition of COVID-19 outbreak to a pandemic has caused global changes to our
day-to-day functioning. These changes are evident to the education sector as the closure of
schools and universities were implemented due to infection control policies. In order to
continue learning, curricular requirements have taken place. With these changes, medical
students are subject to the consequences of such change. Traditionally, medical education is
divided into two components: university based and clinical setting. Studies have been proved
that mental well-being of medical students is greatly affected with academic stress as their
primary stressor, such diversions on learning can significantly affect them. As a response to
the crisis brought by the COVID-19, they perceived the medical students to have a role in
this regard. The lack of ‘pandemic preparation’ students are vulnerable to moral trauma and
negative outcomes. 

 Title: IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON MENTAL HEALTH OF MEDICAL

STUDENTS:A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY USING GAD-7 AND PHQ-9
QUESTIONNAIRES
Publication: BMJ Yale
Year: 2019
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.24.20138925v1.full.pdf+html
Authors: Carlos Izaias Sartorao Filho, Wilson Conti de Las Villas Rodrigues, Ricardo
Beauchamp de Castro, Arlete Aparecida Marcal, Shirlene Pavelqueires, Luiz Takano, Wilson
Luis de Oliveira, Carlos Izaias Sartorao Neto

Filho, C., De Las Villas Rodrigues, W., De Castro, R., Marcal, A., Pavelqueires, S., Takano, L., .
. . Neto, C. (2020, January 01). Impact Of COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health of
Medical Students: A cross-sectional study using GAD-7 and PHQ-9 Questionnaires.
Retrieved October 17, 2020, from
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.24.20138925v1

 
 Many challenges were faced by medical schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One of
these are travel bans, social restrictions, financial impairment, mental health impact, and the
shifting from face to face class to online classes. Most medical undergraduates are prone to
emotional disorders. According to the result of this study, it revealed that there are higher
cases of anxiety and depression among medical students, mostly females, and those who
have financial troubles due to social distancing. It has been proved that there is higher
prevalence of severe and moderate anxiety and depression among women and on medical
students experiencing financial issues. 

 Title: Effects of Mental Health on Student Learning

Author: Ren VanderLind
Publication Date: 2017
Publication: ERIC Institute of Education Sciences
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1154566

VanderLind, R. (2017). Effects of Mental Health on Student Learning. ERIC Institute of

Education Sciences, v22 n2 p39-58 2017. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1154566

Due to the lack of research consisting the connection between students in developmental
education and mental health is problematic. Reports regarding students’ mental health
concerns are arising and it something that can possibly hinder the success of the students
placed into developmental education. Metacognition, one of learning-related support, that
can be implemented in the classrooms which encompasses skills, procedures, and awareness
of how one thinks (Dinsmore, Alexander, & Loughlin, 2008; Eccles & Wigfield, 2002;
Pintrich, 2012; Zimmerman, 2012). There is a possibility that students who have poor mental
health could have an advantage if strategies and theories combining metacognition are
learned. 

Mental health is considered to be one of the reasons for the decreased academic success and
degree completion. (Breslau et al., 2008; Cranford et al., 2009; Elion et al., 2012; Keyes et
al., 2012; Thompson et al., 2013). Oftentimes, mental conditions related to academic stress
are depression and anxiety often stricken by perfectionism. These issues are most common in
females.

 Learning Online: A Case Study Exploring Student Perceptions and Experience of a Course in
Economic Evaluation
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1093737.pdf
Authors: Jolene Skordis-Worrall, Hassan Haghparast-Bidgoli, Neha Batura, Jane Hughes
Year: 2015
Publication: International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
Worrall, J. S., Bidgoli, H. H., Batura, N., & Hughes, J. (2015, January). Learning Online: A Case
Study Exploring Student Perceptions and Experience of a Course in Economic Evaluation.
ResearchGate, volume 27, Number 3, 413-422. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275352287_Learning_Online_A_Case_Study_Explori
ng_Student_Perceptions_and_Experience_of_a_Course_in_Economic_Evaluation

Online courses has been continuously growing in universities of colleges, expanding their
access to online learning (Muirhead, 2007; Song, Singleton, Hill, & Koh, 2004). The reason
behind the fast growth of the online education is the increase of the access, advancement in
communication technologies, demand for online learning due to distance difficulties,
institutional need to maintain a competitive offering of diverse learning platforms, and
financial gains to institutions and students (Ali, Hodson-Carlton, & Ryan, 2004; Muirhead,
2007; Song et al., 2004; Sun, Tsai, Finger, Chen, & Yeh, 2008). Many authors analyzed the
students’ perspective, practices, experiences in online education through quantitative surveys,
qualitative studies, or mixed methodology and have identified positive and negative facet
when it comes to students’ complaisance, comfort, technical problems, delayed evaluation,
and feelings of isolation. Studies of students working with learning technologies (Ellis et al.,
2013, Goodfellow & Lea, 2007, Gourlay & Oliver, 2014) have also revealed wide variation
in student conceptions, approaches, and practices. More researchers regarding online learning
should be conducted as rapid advances of ICT (information and communication technology)
change learners perception of their online learning experiences (Song et al., 2004).
Continuous analysis about students’ perspective in online classes should be investigated
more to develop and improve the design of online course and optimize the students’ learning
experience.

 Student involvement, mental health and quality of life of college students in a selected
university in Manila, Philippines
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02673843.2019.1670683
Jerome Visperas Cleofas
Published online: 26 Sep 2019

Cleofas, J. V. (2020) Student involvement, mental health and quality of life of college
students in a selected university in Manila, Philippines, International Journal of Adolescence
and Youth, 25:1, 435-447, DOI: 10.1080/02673843.2019.1670683

World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledged that one in every four human will
experience mental health problems eventually. Year 2015, mental issues like depression and
anxiety disorders are estimated at 5.5% and 3.6%; suicide cases at 1.5% of comprehensive
death in the same year (WHO, 2017). Mental condition issues are usually untreated and can
affect the role performance of an individual, suggested by the World Health Organization.

Mental state disorders gives extensive burden to the sufferer such as absences at work,
trouble in productivity, financial difficulties due to treatment costs, family and caregiver
stress and loss of life (Bronsard et al., 2016; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
2011).

50% of psychiatric disorders is already present by the age of 14, based on the world mental
health survey results, (Sorel, 2010). Mental health problems, being developmental in nature
and etiology, are best addressed through prevention measures during early age. Educational
institutions, being the students’ primary environment during their formal educational years,
should establish systems, wherein actual and potential mental health problems among the
youth can be addressed. The link between mental health of students, and academic
engagement (Reis, Hoppe, & Schröder, 2015; Roth, 2013), and school environment (Chen,
Romero, & Karver, 2016).