Medical Students’ Perceptions of Factors Associated With Their Mental Health and Psychological Well-being

AIMS: In light of growing evidence suggesting that medical students are particularly susceptible to stress and ill health, the need to enhance their psychological well-being has been highlighted as a priority concern in medical education and policy. However, only a few studies have comprehensively addressed both positive and negative contributors to medical students' psychological well-being. Therefore, this study aims to provide a more holistic understanding of medical students' psychological well-being, the coping strategies they use and any barriers they face in seeking support, as well as outline potential areas of improvement within provisional well-being support. METHODS: This qualitative study involves semi-structured interviews with 25 medical students to gain in-depth insight into their experiences and perspectives on the factors influencing their psychological well-being during their medical training. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The study's results revealed that positive and negative factors influence medical students' psychological well-being. Positive factors such as study-life balance, academic achievement, meaningful relationships with staff and peers and time spent with close friends or family positively influenced students’ psychological well-being; while adverse educational, organisational and cultural factors negatively impacted students' well-being. Additionally, COVID-19 had negatively affected students’ academic, personal and social lives. Medical students mainly used active coping strategies, including planning, acceptance, positive reframing, and seeking support. However, some students reported facing barriers in seeking support, such as fear of stigma, lack of time/support, confidentiality concerns, and difficulty in accessing support. At the same time, there was an expressed need to improve well-being services or resource provision. Students have recommended various solutions to improve mental health support in schools, including addressing cultural and organisational changes within schools, increasing access to resources, reducing the stigma surrounding mental health, and promoting positive factors that support psychological well-being. CONCLUSION: The findings highlight the importance of adopting a holistic approach that considers a variety of contributing factors affecting positively as well as negatively medical students’ well-being. It also highlights the need to provide a supportive and nurturing environment in medical schools and offer appropriate support and resources to help students cope with the stress and challenges of medical training.