Psychosomatic symptoms associated with traumatic events experienced in medical students.

Objectives: Many facts indicate the important role of psychosomatic symptoms that occur due to traumatic events. This study is an analysis of the coexistence of psychosomatic symptoms and traumatic events. Though not every person taking part in these events develops a fully symptomatic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychosomatic symptoms with a strong psychological component are observed in many. This study focuses on a comparison of the intensity of somatization, anxiety, depression, and distress of medical university students, who encountered a traumatic event and those who have not experienced trauma.

Material and methods: The data was collected from 594 students of different academic majors at the Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland. The participants were asked if they had experienced situations that caused psychological trauma as well as about the intensity of their psychosomatic symptoms. The data was collected with 2 questionnaires: Post-traumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale and Four-Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire.

Results: The study reveals that 78% of students experienced a traumatic event, in 15% moderate and severe symptoms of PTSD are observed, 45% presents average and high stress levels, 23% experiences symptoms of depression, whereas 30% has anxiety and 26% somatic symptoms.

Conclusions: Studies show that experiencing traumatic events in life is linked to the higher intensity of an/the entire range of psychosomatic symptoms. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2023;36(5):606-17.