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Anxiety in Medical Students: a Pilot Study on Associated Factors
1North Wales Medical School, Bangor University, Bangor, UK. m.patel@bangor.ac.uk.
Summary
First-year medical students experience high rates of anxiety, sleep disturbances, and headaches. These issues are linked to feeling overworked and irritability, necessitating well-being interventions in medical schools.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Psychology
- Student Well-being
Background:
- Anxiety significantly impacts academic performance and overall well-being in students.
- Early medical training presents unique stressors that can exacerbate mental health challenges.
- Understanding the prevalence of anxiety and associated symptoms is crucial for developing effective support systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationships between anxiety, headache, sleep disturbance, and irritability in first-year medical students.
- To assess anxiety levels and symptom prevalence approximately two months before a major summative assessment.
- To provide preliminary data for the development of targeted student well-being interventions.
Main Methods:
- A pilot study involving 54 first-year medical students.
- Anonymous online survey utilizing a custom symptom questionnaire and the Trait Anxiety Inventory (TAI).
- Data collected from students 2 months prior to their end-of-year summative assessment.
Main Results:
- High prevalence of headache (66%), reduced sleep (72%), and increased anxiety (44%) reported.
- A significant portion of students (27.7%) scored in the severe range for trait anxiety.
- Increased anxiety was strongly associated with feeling overworked, sleep disturbance, and irritability.
- Trait anxiety showed a significant positive correlation with headache frequency.
Conclusions:
- Elevated anxiety and sleep disturbances are prevalent in early medical training.
- Findings underscore the urgent need for tailored well-being interventions for medical students.
- Medical institutions should implement routine mental health check-ins and accessible support services.
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