Medical student mental health 3.0: improving student wellness through curricular changes
Stuart J Slavin1, Debra L Schindler, John T Chibnall
1Dr. Slavin is associate dean for curriculum, Office of Curricular Affairs, and professor, Department of Pediatrics, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Schindler is senior education specialist, Office of Curricular Affairs, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Chibnall is professor, Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
Summary
Implementing curriculum changes in medical education significantly reduced student depression, anxiety, and stress. This innovative approach enhanced medical student well-being by addressing root causes of stress within the academic program.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Student Well-being
- Mental Health
Background:
- Medical education often negatively impacts student mental health.
- Current interventions focus on access to care and ancillary programs.
- A need exists for innovative models addressing curriculum-related stress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a new paradigm for improving medical student mental health.
- To describe an integrated, multifaceted preclinical curricular change program.
- To evaluate the impact of curricular changes on student well-being.
Main Methods:
- Implemented a preclinical curricular change program at Saint Louis University School of Medicine.
- Modified course content, contact hours, scheduling, grading, electives, and learning communities.
- Included required resilience and mindfulness experiences.
Main Results:
- Significantly lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms observed.
- Significantly higher levels of community cohesion reported.
- Efficient curricular changes were associated with improved student mental health outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Curricular reform is a vital, often overlooked, component of medical student mental health initiatives.
- Integrated, multifaceted curricular changes can effectively improve student well-being.
- This model offers a proactive approach to mitigating stress in medical education.
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