Role of accomplishment among Indian medical students: insights from the PERMA + model.

Abstract

Background: Medical education is highly demanding, leading to stress, burnout, and anxiety. In this context, accomplishment-progress toward meaningful goals-emerges as a key factor in student well-being. However, its impact on the well-being of medical students, particularly in India, remains underexplored.

Objective: This study aims to explore the role of accomplishment in the wellbeing of Indian medical students and to examine how it relates to other elements of PERMA + . We hypothesized that higher levels of accomplishment would correlate with better well-being across other PERMA + dimensions, and that gender differences would influence the relationship between accomplishment and well-being.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study at Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth, Karad, Maharashtra, India, from April to October 2023. A total of 364 medical students participated, completing a pre-designed and pre-validated questionnaire that assessed their sense of accomplishment in three areas: progress toward goals, achievement of important goals, and the ability to handle responsibilities. We used statistical analyses including Chi-square, t-tests, and Pearson correlation tests to analyze the data.

Results: The sample was predominantly made up of students aged 20-22 years (62.4%), with a significant proportion being female (66.2%). Males reported significantly higher levels of accomplishment compared to females. We found that accomplishment was strongly linked to other well-being factors such as engagement (0.379**), relationships (0.386**), meaning (0.487**), health (0.287**), and happiness (0.359**). However, there was no significant link between accomplishment and negative emotions or loneliness.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that fostering accomplishment should be prioritized in medical education to support student resilience. Gender differences in accomplishment, with males reporting higher levels, highlight potential challenges for female students, such as societal pressures and academic workload. Addressing these disparities through targeted interventions, like mentorship programs and inclusive support systems, could promote a more equitable learning environment.