Mental health in medical, dentistry and veterinary students: cross-sectional online survey

Dee Knipe; David Dymock; Paul Moran; David Gunnell

doi:10.1192/bjo.2018.61

Mental health in medical, dentistry and veterinary students: cross-sectional online survey

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

79 Citations (Scopus)

516 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Background

The mental health of university students, especially medical students, is of growing concern in the UK.

Aim

To estimate the prevalence of mental disorder in health sciences students and investigate help-seeking behaviour.

Method

An online survey from one English university (n = 1139; 53% response rate) collected data on depression (using the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire), anxiety (seven-item Generalised Anxiety Disorder Assessment), alcohol use (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test), self-harm and well-being, as well as help seeking.

Results

A quarter of the students reported symptoms of moderate/severe depression and 27% reported symptoms of moderate/severe anxiety. Only 21% of students with symptoms of severe depression had sought professional help; the main reason for not seeking help was fear of documentation on academic records.

Conclusions

The study highlights the extent of mental health problems faced by health science students. Barriers to help seeking due to concerns about fitness-to-practise procedures urgently need to be addressed to ensure that this population of students can access help in a timely fashion.

Declaration of interest

None.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	441-446
Number of pages	6
Journal	BJPsych Open
Volume	4
Issue number	6
Early online date	25 Oct 2018
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2018.61
Publication status	Published - Nov 2018

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Research Groups and Themes

SASH

Keywords

Anxiety Disorders
Alcohol Disorders
Deliberate Self-harm
Depressive Disorders
student

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10.1192/bjo.2018.61

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NIHR BRC Mental Health
Gunnell, D. J. (Principal Investigator)
1/04/17 → 31/03/22
Project: Research, Parent

Cite this

@article{567d02145a1443de99bd5f1e01aa3408,

title = "Mental health in medical, dentistry and veterinary students: cross-sectional online survey",

abstract = "Background The mental health of university students, especially medical students, is of growing concern in the UK. Aim To estimate the prevalence of mental disorder in health sciences students and investigate help-seeking behaviour. Method An online survey from one English university (n = 1139; 53\% response rate) collected data on depression (using the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire), anxiety (seven-item Generalised Anxiety Disorder Assessment), alcohol use (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test), self-harm and well-being, as well as help seeking. Results A quarter of the students reported symptoms of moderate/severe depression and 27\% reported symptoms of moderate/severe anxiety. Only 21\% of students with symptoms of severe depression had sought professional help; the main reason for not seeking help was fear of documentation on academic records. Conclusions The study highlights the extent of mental health problems faced by health science students. Barriers to help seeking due to concerns about fitness-to-practise procedures urgently need to be addressed to ensure that this population of students can access help in a timely fashion. Declaration of interest None.",

keywords = "Anxiety Disorders, Alcohol Disorders, Deliberate Self-harm, Depressive Disorders, student",

author = "Dee Knipe and David Dymock and Paul Moran and David Gunnell",

year = "2018",

month = nov,

doi = "10.1192/bjo.2018.61",

language = "English",

volume = "4",

pages = "441--446",

journal = "BJPsych Open",

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T1 - Mental health in medical, dentistry and veterinary students

T2 - cross-sectional online survey

AU - Knipe, Dee

AU - Dymock, David

AU - Moran, Paul

AU - Gunnell, David

PY - 2018/11

Y1 - 2018/11

N2 - Background The mental health of university students, especially medical students, is of growing concern in the UK. Aim To estimate the prevalence of mental disorder in health sciences students and investigate help-seeking behaviour. Method An online survey from one English university (n = 1139; 53% response rate) collected data on depression (using the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire), anxiety (seven-item Generalised Anxiety Disorder Assessment), alcohol use (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test), self-harm and well-being, as well as help seeking. Results A quarter of the students reported symptoms of moderate/severe depression and 27% reported symptoms of moderate/severe anxiety. Only 21% of students with symptoms of severe depression had sought professional help; the main reason for not seeking help was fear of documentation on academic records. Conclusions The study highlights the extent of mental health problems faced by health science students. Barriers to help seeking due to concerns about fitness-to-practise procedures urgently need to be addressed to ensure that this population of students can access help in a timely fashion. Declaration of interest None.

AB - Background The mental health of university students, especially medical students, is of growing concern in the UK. Aim To estimate the prevalence of mental disorder in health sciences students and investigate help-seeking behaviour. Method An online survey from one English university (n = 1139; 53% response rate) collected data on depression (using the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire), anxiety (seven-item Generalised Anxiety Disorder Assessment), alcohol use (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test), self-harm and well-being, as well as help seeking. Results A quarter of the students reported symptoms of moderate/severe depression and 27% reported symptoms of moderate/severe anxiety. Only 21% of students with symptoms of severe depression had sought professional help; the main reason for not seeking help was fear of documentation on academic records. Conclusions The study highlights the extent of mental health problems faced by health science students. Barriers to help seeking due to concerns about fitness-to-practise procedures urgently need to be addressed to ensure that this population of students can access help in a timely fashion. Declaration of interest None.

KW - Anxiety Disorders

KW - Alcohol Disorders

KW - Deliberate Self-harm

KW - Depressive Disorders

KW - student

U2 - 10.1192/bjo.2018.61

DO - 10.1192/bjo.2018.61

M3 - Article (Academic Journal)

C2 - 30450222

SN - 2056-4724

VL - 4

SP - 441

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JO - BJPsych Open

JF - BJPsych Open

IS - 6

ER -

Mental health in medical, dentistry and veterinary students: cross-sectional online survey

Abstract

UN SDGs

Research Groups and Themes

Keywords

Access to Document

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Projects

NIHR BRC Mental Health

Cite this