Comparação dos níveis de depressão, ansiedade e estresse entre estudantes de medicina, residentes e médicos em início de carreira

Abstract

Mental health impairment is a persistent cause for concern for healthcare managers and medical educators, occurring at all stages of medical education and career. However, only a few studies compare mental health of groups at different stages of medical training. This study aimed to compare symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress and their associated factors among medical students, medical residents, and physicians. A cross-sectional study was conducted through face-to-face and online data collection from participants at different stages of medical training at the same medical school in Brazil. Data collection included sociodemographic data, religiosity (Duke University Religion Index), and mental health (21- item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale — DASS-21) data. The comparison between the groups was performed using ANOVA, and the associated factors were evaluated via linear regression models. The sample consisted of 1417 participants: 778 medical students, 190 medical residents, and 468 established physicians. Medical students had significantly higher depression, anxiety, and stress scores as compared to medical residents and established physicians. However, regarding DASS 21 scores, no significant differences were found between established physicians and medical residents. The factors associated with mental health in the different groups showed that being married and male were associated with better mental health among physicians and medical residents, while the factors of male gender, being in later years of the course, and lower religious attendance were associated with better mental health in students. This study investigated the stage at which individuals are more vulnerable in the medical education and career, finding that medical students have worse mental health outcomes when compared to other groups. Factors such as gender, marital status, years of study, and religious practice were associated with mental health. Further research is needed to understand these differences in the mental health outcomes of the three groups and propose interventions to minimize suffering during medical education and career.