Assessing the Correlation between Medical Students’ Psychological Distress and Their Academic Performance in Makkah, Saudi Arabia

Abdulelah Nuqali,Haneen Al Nazzawi,Shatha Felmban,Nisrine Felemban,Hatem Assiri

doi:10.4236/ce.2018.99099

Abstract

Background: Stresses associated with medical school expose students to psychological distress that can have negative consequences. The purpose of this study was to screen for psychological distress among medical students, identify stressors, and examine the correlation between these stressors and students’ academic performance. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 219 medical students at the basic science and clinical clerkship training levels at Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, in 2014. The Mental Health Inventory (MHI-38) was used to assess students’ psychological well-being and distress in terms of anxiety, depression, and life satisfaction. A questionnaire was also used to assess common stressors and collect demographic information and students’ grade point average (GPA). Results: Male students had higher levels of depression, anxiety, and loss of control than female students did. The mean MHI-38 anxiety, depression, and life satisfaction scores were 34.69 (SD = 7.14), 15.11 (SD = 3.82), and 3.12 (SD = 1.01) respectively, indicating the sample was slightly anxious, somewhat depressed, and somewhat satisfied with life. MHI-38 depression scores significantly (p Conclusions: Results showed that psychological distress is common among the sample but is most prominent among males. Less depressed students had a higher GPA, and academic-related stressors were most frequently reported by students. These findings highlight the need for addressing mental health issues and eliminating the risk factors.

Highlights

Mental health is essential for the well-being of both individuals and communities
Psychological distress is a form of emotional distress that manifests as varying degrees of depression and anxiety and that may be associated with somatic symptoms like insomnia and fatigue (Keyes, 2002; Engen, 2008)
We screened for psychological distress among medical students by assessing the most common manifestations of psychological distress, including anxiety, depression, loss of behavioral or emotional control, positive affect, emotional ties, and life satisfaction

Summary

Introduction

Mental health is essential for the well-being of both individuals and communities. Psychological distress is a form of emotional distress that manifests as varying degrees of depression and anxiety and that may be associated with somatic symptoms like insomnia and fatigue (Keyes, 2002; Engen, 2008). We had the following objectives: 1) to screen for psychological distress and its manifestations among medical students at Umm Al-Qura University; 2) to identify the stressors influencing psychological distress; and 3) to examine the correlation between these stressors and students’ academic performance. The purpose of this study was to screen for psychological distress among medical students, identify stressors, and examine the correlation between these stressors and students’ academic performance. The Mental Health Inventory (MHI-38) was used to assess students’ psychological well-being and distress in terms of anxiety, depression, and life satisfaction. Less depressed students had a higher GPA, and academic-related stressors were most frequently reported by students. These findings highlight the need for addressing mental health issues and eliminating the risk factors

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion