Med School and Depression

[deleted862527]

After reviewing the threads posted on SDN, it seems as though almost every medical student develops some sort of acute or chronic mental illness as a result of the stressful demands placed on them. Are there any medical students who did NOT develop any mental health issues while enrolled in medical school? I understand that an unhappy student is more likely to post their negative experiences online than a student who has had positive experiences; however, it is evident that mental health issues in medicine seem unaddressed and represent a current problem in medical training and among healthcare professionals.

According to @Goro "I have seen medical schools break even healthy students." This is devastating.

Considering perfectionism and anxiety are very common among type-A personalities and high-achieving students, should admitted medical students take a course prior towards matriculation on how to cope with the stressors of medical school and how to respond to it in a more productive, healthful manner? The course should also help identify cognitive distortions, along with the various treatment options available.

Equipping students with this type of knowledge will help prevent future development of mental illness in previously healthy individuals, along with preventing future relapses in anxiety and depressive prone students. Additionally, it may help students develop more empathy for themselves and others with the learning process associated in medical training and help prevent bullying, low self-esteem, self-worth, etc.

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[Phile98]

Are there any medical students who did NOT develop any mental health issues while enrolled in medical school?

Your intentions are good, but your concerns are grossly exaggerated. Yes, people will undergo mental stress in med school. The problem, as you pointed out with the quote is that it's nearly IMPOSSIBLE to predict those people who will 'break'. No one knows what's going on in each other's minds.
The key is to make sure you develop hobbies that take away from the stress you accumulate. Coping mechanisms like physical exercise, parties, sports, socializing, tv etc. are so important. Living a balanced lifestyle is key. Work hard in the classroom and chill/party (whatever floats your boat) equally hard outside.

 

[yersinia_pestis]

Equipping students with this type of knowledge will help prevent future development of mental illness in previously healthy individuals, along with preventing future relapses in anxiety and depressive prone students. Additionally, it may help students develop more empathy for themselves and others with the learning process associated in medical training and help prevent bullying, low self-esteem, self-worth, etc.

Cool in theory, harder in practice. To be honest, a number of students already have mental illness when they enter med school. Regardless of whether they were in med school or working as a secretary or something else, they could still very easily have a relapse. There are also those who are genetically susceptible to mental illness who don’t have their first episode until med school. Yes, could have been triggered by it but, at the same time, many people have their first episode in their early 20s, regardless of where they are in their life. There is a subset of students who really benefit greatly from working on their own wellness and coping strategies, for sure. But, I think we sometimes forget to acknowledge that some people with mental illness are just people who have mental illness. Your ideas could indeed help with the empathy and self-esteem areas though, I think. (Then again, try as they might, I don’t think anyone can fully succeed at teaching empathy to individuals who don’t have any to begin with.)

 

[NotASerialKiller]

Cool in theory, harder in practice. To be honest, a number of students already have mental illness when they enter med school. Regardless of whether they were in med school or working as a secretary or something else, they could still very easily have a relapse. There are also those who are genetically susceptible to mental illness who don’t have their first episode until med school. Yes, could have been triggered by it but, at the same time, many people have their first episode in their early 20s, regardless of where they are in their life. There is a subset of students who really benefit greatly from working on their own wellness and coping strategies, for sure. But, I think we sometimes forget to acknowledge that some people with mental illness are just people who have mental illness. Your ideas could indeed help with the empathy and self-esteem areas though, I think. (Then again, try as they might, I don’t think anyone can fully succeed at teaching empathy to individuals who don’t have any to begin with.)

Everyone can benefit from working on their wellness. And the OP is talking about school anxiety spiraling into depression etc., which absolutely is aided by wellness and coping strategies. That's why my school get us to work on that frequency in mandatory sessions. No one is saying working on wellness means you won't become bipolar or schizophrenic, that's not the issue we're discussing. If anything I'm sure there are fewer people with serious life-long mental health illnesses like schizophrenia in med school than the general population because they make it harder to get the grades etc. to get in. I'm sorry but I really hate that attitude that 'some people are just depressed', especially in reference to med students. It's dismissive of a very real problem that can be ameliorated with the right strategies and care for students. Anxiety, depression and suicide aren't more prevalent in med students and doctors by chance, or because some people are just like that. It's an issue that can and has to be addressed.

And @Matrix207 schools are indeed trying to promote those kinds of things for their students these days.

EDIT: Also OP, yes these problems are common among med students, but by no means is it everyone. Plenty of people get through it without any major mental health issues. Don't get the impression that a life in medicine means you're destined to be depressed and miserable, that's not the case at all.

 

[yersinia_pestis]

I'm sorry but I really hate that attitude that 'some people are just depressed', especially in reference to med students. It's dismissive of a very real problem that can be ameliorated with the right strategies and care for students.

I in no way implied that 'some people are just depressed.' I literally discussed mental illness overall. Believing that depressive symptoms is equivalent to mental illness is a really unfortunate thought that many people have. I stated that some students benefit greatly from wellness methods. And research does in fact show that symptoms of burnout and symptoms of depression are reduced. Key word being "symptoms". However, there has yet to be a paper that specifically states that mental illness (which is very different than mental health concerns) can be prevented by improving overall wellness.

In fact, your statement seems itself dismissive of those for whom mental illness is very real and very impactful.

No one is saying working on wellness means you won't become bipolar or schizophrenic, that's not the issue we're discussing. If anything I'm sure there are fewer people with serious life-long mental health illnesses like schizophrenia in med school than the general population because they make it harder to get the grades etc. to get in.

And my bad. I assumed because OP specifically wrote "mental illness" in their post that we were, in fact, discussing it. (Not hating the player, just hating the game.) It can't be ignored that there are students who actually have mental illness in medical school. And for these students, mandatory wellness programs can fall short and place the onus on the students themselves. This can delay other methods that could help them, such as therapy and/or medication.

Also, your statement that, "If anything I'm sure there are fewer people with serious life-long mental health illnesses like schizophrenia in med school than the general population because they make it harder to get the grades etc. to get in," sounds as if you think this means that those who do have mental illness aren't worth the time or effort.



I live and have lived for many years with serious mental illness. I fought hard and struggled greatly to "get the grades etc. to get in." I myself practice mindfulness meditation and stress reduction techniques regularly. I have taught wellness courses to medical students. And I am speaking about wellness at an upcoming national conference.

So please don't think I am saying wellness is garbage. I just want more people to be aware of the fact that, while there may be "fewer people with serious life-long mental health issues like schizophrenia in med school," – which, by the way, sounds odd since I have yet to hear of schizophrenia being diagnosed at birth – mental illness (again, which was mentioned in OP's post) is very real and DOES occur in medical students. And this population of students suffers when they get lumped in with those who do not meet criteria for diagnosis of mental illness. It's an important distinction that needs to be addressed.

 

[NotASerialKiller]

Also, your statement that, "If anything I'm sure there are fewer people with serious life-long mental health illnesses like schizophrenia in med school than the general population because they make it harder to get the grades etc. to get in," sounds as if you think this means that those who do have mental illness aren't worth the time or effort.

Massive massive reach to try to extract something offensive from that. If you read the previous sentence it would have been obvious that I'm saying schizophrenia is uncommon among med students therefore unlikely to be what people are talking about when they reference the heightened burden of mental health issues in med school. Care for a student with schizophrenia is an entirely different and much more specific case than what we're talking about here. Of course it's important, it's just not what the OP was referencing. The OP was asking if there are ways to help the students that he constantly hears are over-stressed and prone to mental health problems (talked about a lot on SDN), and the answer is YES.

which, by the way, sounds odd since I have yet to hear of schizophrenia being diagnosed at birth

Life-long as in you've got it for the rest of your life, I'm sure you knew exactly what I meant by that.