Depression, anxiety, and perceived hassles among entering medical students

Abstract

This study investigated depression and anxiety among students who were entering medical school prior to the onset of their medical curriculum. Entering students reported financial, day-to-day, academic, and time hassles as concerns. Interestingly, the population characteristics of gender, marital status, and ethnicity impacted the type of self-reported hassles indicated by the students. Measurements of depression and anxiety indicated that entering medical school students' emotional status resembles that of the general population. The results suggest that it is the rigors of the medical curriculum that may play an important role in the increased prevalence of depression and anxiety for students during their medical education. Further, students who are entering medical field already have concerns about medical school and are in the process of anticipating the necessary adjustment to the challenges ahead of them. Preventative programming efforts should begin early in medical education and address a wide variety of concerns from academic, to interpersonal relationships and financial worries.

Keywords:

• Anxiety
• depression
• hassles
• medical students
• orientation

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Thomas M. Wolf, Ph.D. for his willingness to let us use the Medical Education Hassles Scale-R. Copies of this scale as well as the Medical Education Uplifts Scale-R can be obtained by writing to Dr. Wolf at: Department of Psychiatry, LSU Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, 1542 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA. We thank Ron S. Gaber, Dean of Students, for permission to conduct this study during new student orientation and Bonnie King for her technical support. This study was supported by the American Osteopathic Association grants #97-04-447 and #98-04-461.