Survey Reveals Mental Health Challenges Among Medical Students and Recommendations for Improvement
New Delhi: An online survey conducted by the National Medical Commission (NMC) task force has highlighted significant mental health challenges among medical students. According to the survey, nearly 28% of undergraduate (UG) and 15.3% of postgraduate (PG) medical students reported being diagnosed with mental health conditions.
The survey, which included responses from 25,590 UG students, 5,337 PG students, and 7,035 faculty members, recommended several measures to improve conditions for medical students. These include limiting weekly working hours for resident doctors to 74, ensuring a weekly day off, and promoting seven to eight hours of daily sleep.
The survey also found that 16.2% of MBBS students and 31% of MD/MS students reported thoughts of self-harm or suicide within the past year. Feelings of loneliness or social isolation were common, with 35% of students experiencing these feelings frequently and 39.1% sometimes. A significant number of students also reported difficulties in maintaining social connections.
Stress management remains a concern, with 36.4% of students feeling they lack the necessary knowledge and skills. Additionally, 18.2% of students found faculty or mentors to be extremely unsupportive.
Academic workload and stress were prominent issues, with 56.6% of students finding their workload manageable but heavy. The fear of failure was a significant concern, with 51.6% of UG students acknowledging its negative impact on their performance. Furthermore, 43.7% of students reported extreme or significant stress due to the medical curriculum, and 35.9% felt that frequent exams contributed to this stress.
The survey also highlighted challenges in accessing mental health services, with 18.6% of students rating them as very or somewhat inaccessible, and 18.8% perceiving the quality as poor.
In terms of ragging and harassment, 76.8% of UG students reported no experiences of ragging, while 9.7% did. However, 70.1% of students believed their institutions had adequate measures to prevent and address ragging. For PG students, 20% found their academic workload frequently challenging, and 45% reported working more than 60 hours a week. Additionally, 18% of PG students reported experiencing ragging.
The task force’s findings underscore the need for enhanced mental health support and stress management strategies within medical institutions. The survey also revealed dissatisfaction with hostel facilities and concerns about faculty engagement and attendance, particularly in private medical colleges and during government college working hours.
The report calls for stricter enforcement of anti-ragging policies, improved support systems, and better infrastructure to address these issues effectively and ensure the well-being of medical students.
