MENTAL HEALTH OF HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AND MEDICAL

STUDENTS

Group supervisor - Marika Mortuladze

Students list- Deep jain , charvi jain, harshita , priyanshi sharma

ABSTRACT

This research paper aims to investigate the mental health status of health professionals and
medical students. The study collected data through a survey where 170 participants answered
various questions related to their mental health, sleep patterns, the workload during the
pandemic, mental health screenings, family history of mental illness, and ability to manage
work and physical health. The results of the survey showed that the participant population was
fairly balanced in terms of gender, with 50.6% male and 48.8% female. Most of the participants
fell into the age group of 19-23 years (51.2%) and 24-28 years (43.5%). During the pandemic,
55.3% reported increased workload, while 52.9% expressed fear of contracting infectious
diseases. A mental health examination was missing for 77.1% of the participants and only 11.8%
were diagnosed with a mental disorder. Regarding emotional well-being, 58.2% experienced
emotional problems during the past month, while 43.5% did not. These findings shed light on
mental health issues facing health professionals and medical students. Addressing these issues
is critical to ensuring their well-being, academic success, and the provision of high-quality
health services. Further research and interventions are warranted to develop effective
strategies to promote mental health in this population.

INTRODUCTION

The mental health of healthcare workers and medical students is a very important and worrying topic. The
demands of their work and training, combined with unique stressors and responsibilities, can have a
significant impact on their well-being. This introduction aims to provide an overview of the mental health
issues facing health professionals and medical students and to highlight the complexity and implications of
this issue.

Healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff, often work in high-pressure
environments that require them to make critical decisions and provide patient care in challenging
environments. The emotional toll of patient suffering, the demands of long and irregular hours, and the
constant need to stay abreast of medical advances can contribute to increased stress levels and potential
mental health problems.

Medical students also experience their share of mental health issues. The rigorous and competitive nature of
medical education combined with the pressure to excel academically can be overwhelming. Transitioning
from classroom learning to clinical practice, managing a heavy workload and balancing personal life can
further increase the stress and strain experienced by medical students.

Both health professionals and medical students can experience burnout, a state of chronic exhaustion,
emotional detachment, and reduced job satisfaction. Burnout affects not only their well-being but also
patient care and the overall functioning of the healthcare system. Additionally, the stigma surrounding
mental health in these professions often acts as a barrier to seeking help, exacerbating the problem.

We recognize the importance of mental health in health professionals and medical students and efforts are
being made to address this issue. Research, initiatives and policies are being developed to promote mental
well-being, reduce stigma and improve access to support systems. By understanding the challenges and
complexities associated with their mental health, we can strive to create healthier and more supportive
environments for those who dedicate their lives to caring for others.

Methodology
There has been an increase in mental health issues in the field of healthcare. Medical students
and healthcare professionals both undergo a large amount of stress and an increased amount
of work professionally. Healthcare workers are more prone to mental disorders like stress, and
burnout than those of other professions. Medical students undergo much more hard training
than other professionals which makes them prone to health-related problems and eating
disorders like bulimia and anorexia. It leads to a very diminished amount of time available for
their well-being be it physical or mental. We performed a survey through a questionnaire in
which we asked medical students and healthcare workers about their mental health and if there
are any habits that they have to correct.

In the survey that we performed, admission to medical school changed the sleep habits of
medical students in a declining manner as shown in the graph below. More than 40% of people
recorded a declining scale of >5.

We also analyzed the use of social media in which 46.5% of people said that they use social
media for 2 to 3 hrs and 15.9% said frequently and addictively. This means that social media is
not the cause of the majority of stress caused by healthcare professionals. But they can use it
as a medium of coping with stress. The whole pie chart of social media usage is provided
below.
We also checked the sleeping hours which came out to be in the normal range

Next, we checked the workload stress in the pandemic which came out to be >50% and 46.5%
said no as it can be delivered as the people who work suffer from workload stress and not
students.
Next, we checked if people are scared to get infected during the treatment of patients. It was
similar to workload stress as the doctors are more prone to infections as students because they
are directly in close contact with the patients.

We also asked students and healthcare workers if they ever got their mental health checkup in
which 77.1% said never. This means that they mostly bush aside the feeling and trying to keep
it all together might not help always.

Out of 170 responses 20 were diagnosed with mental disorders and 151 were not. And out of
151 we have seen the majority of them have never had their mental health checked up.

Medications were also checked in which 90% were not taking medications and 10% were. The
majority of people don't understand their mental health and consider a stigma being called as
mental so they don't even take medications. And those who are taking medications are suffering
suicidal thoughts.
People think since they don't have any history of mental disorders they consider that they also
don't have one despite it can be acquired.

Due to overwork, the organization of academic work has not been regular in 58.7% of people
and 58.8%of behave has been taking care of their physical and mental health survey also
included the emotional feeling and capability and addiction ithe the n which majority of them felt
somewhat confident in their capabilities and 68.8% did not have any kind of addiction.

58.2% felt that they had problems with work and daily life due to emotional problems such as
depression and anxiety.

RESULTS
The mental health of medical students with a48.8% of males and 50.6% of females with mental wellness
finals year medical students and preparation for the examination for the speciality had to face a broad range
of mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, burnout and anorexic tendencies. And they
experienced workload and stress during the pandemic. And from the last 12 months, 46.5% of students
frequently felt so worried about something that they are unable to sleep at night. And because of not enough
nights of sleep, and emotional problems such as feeling depressed, sad or anxious they couldn’t able to
maintain their daily lifestyle and manage work.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, mental health care professionals and medical students are a significant concern that requires
lasting attention. Recognizing the challenges they face, reducing stigma, and implementing supportive
measures can contribute to a healthier workforce and improved overall well-being.