The role of mental health support for medical students.

Abstract

The mental health of medical students is of critical importance during their medical studies, which can be a long and challenging period. Academic expectations, high workload, and emotional stress can contribute to mental burden and burnout among medical students, placing an increased burden on the healthcare system in the future. Therefore, psychological support and mental health services play a crucial role in medical education. The aim of this study is to present and examine the role of the Psychological Counseling Service at the University of Pécs Medical School in supporting the mental health of medical students since its establishment in 2007. In this study, we present the combined quantitative and qualitative results from the period between November 2021 and May 2023, as registered by the students and staff utilizing the Service as well as the counseling psychologists working at the Service. The data include the number of consultations, the patterns of the most frequently occurring problems (based on the Counseling Professional Protocol), and the mental well-being of the population receiving psychological support (GHQ-12). During the examined period, a total of 1111 individuals made use of the Service in 2012 appointments. Both students and staff most commonly sought assistance from the Service in addressing relationship difficulties (37.6%) and coping with negative life events (33.1%). Based on the data collected since October 2022 (n = 113), nearly 10% of the attendees were taking medication for psychiatric treatment, a significantly higher percentage among international students. Furthermore, 38.9% had previously received professional help. The average score on the GHQ-12 questionnaire is 8 points, which is significantly above the 5-point threshold achieved by 78.6% of respondents. The results demonstrate that the Psychological Counseling Service at the University of Pécs Medical School plays a significant role in supporting the mental health of medical students. It contributes to more effective coping with academic challenges, reducing the risk of emotional stress and burnout. Orv Hetil. 2023; 164(45): 1778-1786.