Mental health among medical students has been the subject of much discussion, with studies reporting alarmingly high prevalences of mental health issues, such as depression symptoms, anxiety and suicidal ideation.
Few studies have explored the relationship between the dimensions of social and material deprivation and these outcomes, despite reported increased risk of psychological disorders among the general population when exposed to precarious living conditions. Longitudinal data associating deprivation with poor mental health in medical students is lacking both locally to Switzerland and internationally, and no formal tool has been used to assess the dimensions of deprivation.
Our study aimed to explore longitudinal associations between living in deprivation and mental health outcomes among Swiss medical students.
Data was collected from hour-long online surveys at time points T3 (Nov-Dec 2022) and T4 (Nov-Dec 2023) of an open cohort study of medical students from the University of Lausanne, Switzerland (ETMED-L, Berney A, Carrard V, Berney S, et al.). The final sample consisted of 631 students (67.5% female, mean age 22.11 ± 2.95).
Deprivation was evaluated with the DIPCare-Q deprivation index. Mental health variables measured were depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, suicidal ideations and dimensions of burnout (emotional exhaustion, cynicism, academic efficacy). Data was analysed using hierarchical multiple regression models.
In our final regression model, controlling for socio-demographic factors, coping skills (emotion-focused, problem-focused & help-seeking), social support (practical and emotional support) and baseline mental health scores, a higher overall deprivation index was predictive of increased depression symptoms (β=0.14, p<.001) and anxiety symptoms (β=0.06, p=0.046) over time, but not for suicidal ideation or burnout symptoms.
Results demonstrated a notable impact of deprivation on mental health cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Results suggested that coping skills and social support were longitudinally protective from suicidal ideations and emotional exhaustion (burnout symptom).
To promote better mental health among medical students, it is imperative to implement interventions that aim to support them materially and socially.