The prevalence and clinical structure of mental disorders in medical students (problems of primary and secondary psychoprophylaxis)
Background: The prevalence of chronic stress among medical students is higher than in the general population due to the high academic load. As a result, anxiety and neurotism increase, working capacity decreases, sleep disorders appear with a high risk of stress-induced mental disorders. The aim of the study: This study is aimed to verify the prevalence and clinical structure of borderline mental disorders in freshmen and senior medical students to develop recommendations for primary and secondary psychoprophylaxis. Materials and methods: A sample of 482 students was examined: 265 first-year students and 217 fifth-year students. The sample included 132 (27.4%) male and 350 (72.6%) female students. The examination was based on clinical, psychopathological, medical, sociological and psychometric research methods. Statistical processing of the database was carried out by nonparametric statistics using the statistical software package Statistica 6.0. Results: Borderline mental disorders were diagnosed in 20% of cases, more often in senior students – 24.4%, than in younger ones – 16.2%. In 18.8% of cases, non-pathological prenosological reactions were recorded. Almost half of all mental disorders (42.7%) were neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders – 8.5% of the examined. Organic psychiatric disorders (5%) and personality disorders (3.7%) were less common. In addition, in 2.7% of cases, affective mood disorders were diagnosed. For students with mental disorders and non-pathological reactions, training stress factors were more significant, they have more pronounced symptoms of educational and pre-examination stress, and first-year students were more often prone to smoking and drinking alcohol than peers without mental disorders. Conclusion: Childbirth by means of cesarean section can act as a risk factor for the formation of borderline mental disorders and non-pathological reactions, and the presence of fragmentary neurotic manifestations in preschool age with the appeal to the adherents of “traditional medicine” in the preschool age. In order to arrange primary and secondary psychoprophylaxis of borderline mental disorders during training at the university, it is advisable to implement the “Stress management” training, aimed at teaching students constructive ways to deal with stress, reduce anxiety and depression.
Ruzhenkova VV. The prevalence and clinical structure of mental disorders in medical students (problems of primary and secondary psychoprophylaxis). Research Results in Biomedicine. 2020;6(1):135-153.
(In Russian) DOI: 10.18413/2658-6533-2020-6-1-0-12
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