Correlation between career decision-making self-efficacy and psychological well-being of medical students

Abstract

Objective To investigate the career decision-making self-efficacy as well as the psychological well-being of medical students and to discuss the correlation between them.Methods A cross-sectional survey with cluster random sampling was performed anonymously among 714 students of different majors and different grades in an medical University.The contents of the survey included the career decision making self-efficacy scale (CDMSE) as well as the self-reporting inventory(SCL-90).All data in the two groups were analyzed with t test; comparison of data between groups were analyzed with One-Way ANOVA; multiple comparison was analyzed with S-N-K; Pearson and Partial correlation analysis were used to analyzed the correlation between the career decision making self-efficacy and wellbeing.Results Totally 659 students completed the inventory,with response rate being92.3％.Average score of the participants' career decision-making self-efficacy was (124.72 ± 26.76)points,situating at the middle and lower level.There were differences in the scores of career decision making selfefficacy among different sexes,sources,grades and being student cadres or not (P =0.019,0.000,0.027,0.026) ; No differences was found among students of different majors and whether being the only child(P =0.243,0.223).Results of the SCL-90 inventory demonstrated that medical students had some psychological problems including obsessive-compulsive,interpersonal sensitivity and anxiety.Correlation analysis showed that psychological well-being and career decision-making self-efficacy was negatively correlated.Conclusions Measures should be taken to improve the medical students' career decision-making self-efficacy according to their psychological characteristics and to improve the medical students' psychological status by the improvement of career decision-making self-efficacy. Key words: Medical students; Career decision-making; Self-efficacy; Psychological well-being