"Unveiling the burden: mental health challenges and coping strategies among moroccan medical students"

Medical students face significant psychological distress due to academic, financial, and social pressures. While global studies highlight the mental health challenges of medical students, limited data is available for Moroccan medical students.

This study aims to assess the prevalence of psychological distress, identify associated factors, and explore coping strategies among Moroccan medical students.

A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Fez, involving 632 clinical-year students. Data were collected using the validated GHQ-12 questionnaire to assess psychological distress and self-reported measures of functional and dysfunctional coping strategies. Statistical analysis included chi-square tests and logistic regression to identify significant associations.

The mean GHQ-12 score was 5.00 (SD: 3.61), with 50.6% of students scoring above the threshold of 4, indicating psychological distress. The most frequently reported stressors were academic challenges (34.1%), emotional problems (12.3%), and financial difficulties (9.6%). Female students experienced significantly higher levels of distress compared to males (P < 0.001). Among the participants, 52.6% reported using coping strategies; of these, 26.5% relied exclusively on functional strategies, such as prayer, relaxation, and seeking social support, while 26.1% used at least one dysfunctional strategy. Dysfunctional coping strategies, such as dietary changes and smoking, were significantly associated with distress (P < 0.001).

This study underscores the substantial mental health burden among Moroccan medical students, with significant associations between distress, gender, stressors, and dysfunctional coping strategies. These findings highlight the need for targeted mental health interventions and the development of supportive programs within medical education settings to promote well-being and resilience.