%0 Journal Article
%T Medical students' self-report of mental health conditions
%A Rael D. Strous
%A Netta Shoenfeld
%A Avi Lehman
%A Aharon Wolf
%J International Journal of Medical Education
%D 2012
%I IJME
%R 10.5116/ijme.4e80.28b7
%X Objectives: To investigate the subjective presence of a range of subsyndromal and syndromal mental health conditions in medical students, and to compare the presence of these conditions between preclinical and clinical training. Methods: A cross sectional study was used among first-and fifth-year medical students. Student reported their mental health conditions using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria, the fourth version (DSM-IV). Data analysis was based on 110 questionnaires. Results: A total of 61 students (55.5 reported that they experienced symptoms of mental illness, albeit many with minimum severity. More than 50 of the students reported that they experienced Axis I and Axis II disorders, which mostly were mood disorders (38in year 1 and 35in year 5) and obsessive-compulsive traits (41in year 1 and 46in year 5), respectively. The least common disorders reported were psychotic disorders (5in year 1 and 0in year 5) and schizotypal traits (7in year 1 and 2in year 5). Fifth-year students reported more Axis I disorders than first-year students. Female students reported more Axis I disorders than their male peers. A further analysis indicated that there was no significant association between age and Axis disorders. Several conditions were comorbid with other mental illnesses. Conclusions: A great number of students reported that they experience mental health conditions with minimal severity. This implies a need for indispensable ongoing support programs for the special needs of medical students.
%K medical students
%K subsyndromal mental illness
%K mental health conditions
%K self-evaluation
%K israel
%U http://www.ijme.net/archive/3/students-self-report-of-mental-health-conditions.pdf