Depressed on the school benches. Worldwide, more than a third of young medical internssuffer from depressionor depressive symptoms, according to an American study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA network).
Researchers conducted a study spanning more than 50 years to draw conclusions about the mental well-being of medical students around the world. From January 1963 to September 2015, 17,560 interns were interviewed in questionnaires or interviews with psychiatrists and psychologists.
Their findings confirm the adage that shoemakers wear the worst shoes. From this meta-analysis, 29% (4,969) of young physicians show signs of depression. As a result, poor quality care provided to patients but also an increase in the number of medical errors.
Impacts on physicians and patients
Depressive symptoms increased slightly over the five decades studied. A problem to be taken seriously for researchers who are concerned about the consequences on the mental health of physicians in their professional life later on, but also the repercussions on their patients. “Insofar as the appearance of depressive symptoms when we are young are linked to increased risks of depression later in life (…) the results of this study could point to long-term health problems for these interns (…) and a lower quality of care provided to their patients “, points out the study, taken up by AFP.
Researchers are arguing for a change in the training system to prevent the risk of depression. Other studies should be conducted to consider the strategies to be implemented.
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