Mental Health Matters: Mental Health and Overall Well-Being Among First- and Second-Year Medical Students

Abstract

Purpose

Recent studies have indicated a dramatic increase of depression and burnout levels among medical students. This study aimed to answer the question: how does medical students’ mental health affect their stress, physical health, and academic success?

Method

A survey was distributed to first- and second-year medical students to gather information on various self-perceived parameters of health, well-being, and academic success. Participants rated their mental health, physical health, and stress on a five-point Likert scale. Grade point averages (GPAs) were used as a measure of academic success. Students were separated into “low” (1–3 of 5) and “high” (4–5 of 5) mental health categories based on self-reported mental health scores on the Likert scale. The two groups were compared on their self-reported physical health, stress, and GPAs. Linear regression analyses were also performed with GPA and mental health as the dependent variables.

Results

121 surveys met inclusion criteria. The average physical health was 3.03 in the “low” mental health group (n = 61) and 3.88 in the “high” mental health group (n = 60) (p < .001). The average stress was 3.87 in the “low” mental health group and 3.35 in the “high” mental health group (p < .001). The average GPA was 3.22 in the “low” mental health group and 3.26 in the “high” mental health group (p = .33). Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that about 40% of the variation in mental health was explained by the combined effects of physical health and stress (R² = .40, p < .001). The cumulative effect of mental health, physical health, and stress on GPA was not significant (R² = .017, p = .58).

Discussion

It appears that better mental health is correlated with a decrease in stress and an increase in physical health but has no substantial impact on GPA. This may warrant future research into the influence of mental health on other aspects of academic and professional success.