Influence of Cisgender Male and Female Genders on Perceived Social Support of Medical Students: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Stress associated with medical studies often leads to an increased need for social support among medical students. While other influencing factors concerning the social support needs of medical students have been studied, the influence of gender in this area is scarce. Therefore, this scoping review mapped out the relevant literature, identified gaps, and suggested the influence of cisgender male and female genders on the perceived social support (PSS) of medical students. This scoping review was guided by the PRISMA-ScR checklist. Rationales and research questions were mapped according to Arksey and O’Malley (2005). The databases PubMed, Wiley Online Library, ERIC, and CNKI, were searched for academic articles published in English and Chinese between November 2011 and November 2021 that met preset criteria. The selection of sources of evidence based on screening and eligibility of evidence reduced the identified 796 sources of evidence in the searched databases to seven sources of evidence. The identified gaps include the lack of in-depth exploration of male and female genders alone as a determinant of PSS, how gender may be used to promote PSS among male medical students and female medical students, how different sociocultural, sociodemographic, and personality influence the PSS of genders among medical students, lack of qualitative research and mixed-methodologies on the subject as well as the use of longitudinal studies and how major areas of research and gender affect the PSS of medical students.