Early Post-implementation Analysis of a Medical Student Mental Health Program

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Student Well-being
• Mental Health Services

Background:

• Medical students face significant mental health challenges and burnout.
• Poor utilization of existing mental health care services is a persistent issue.
• Previous research identified key barriers to care for this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a newly implemented, no-cost, confidential Medical Student Mental Health Program (MSMHP).
• To compare medical student attitudes, burnout levels, and service utilization before and after MSMHP implementation.
• To identify persistent barriers to mental health care for medical students.

Main Methods:

• Anonymous surveys were administered to 780 medical students in early 2023.
• The survey assessed burnout, barriers to care, resource utilization, and satisfaction.
• Data was compared to a pre-implementation survey from 2020.

Main Results:

• Burnout levels remained stable (2.60 in 2020 vs. 2.59 in 2023).
• Mental health concerns were reported by 67% in 2020 and 65% in 2023.
• Satisfaction with mental health resource availability significantly increased from 39% to 74% post-MSMHP.
• While access improved, barriers like stigma, time, fear of disclosure, and cost persisted.

Conclusions:

• The MSMHP led to increased mental health care utilization among medical students.
• Despite improved access and satisfaction, high levels of student burnout and mental health concerns remain.
• Persistent systemic issues within the medical school environment continue to act as barriers to care.