Survey Finds High Rates of Mental Health Conditions Among Medical Students

Nearly 28% of undergraduate (UG) and 15.3% of postgraduate (PG) medical students have been diagnosed with mental health conditions, according to an online survey by a National Medical Commission (NMC) task force. The survey included 25,590 UG students, 5,337 PG students, and 7,035 faculty members.

Workload and Stress Management

The survey recommended that resident doctors should not work more than 74 hours per week, should get a weekly day off, and should have seven to eight hours of sleep daily. A significant number of PG students—45%—reported working over 60 hours a week, with more than 56% not getting their weekly offs.

Balancing academic work with personal life is challenging for 56.3% of UG students. Medical curriculum-induced stress is significant, with 43.7% finding it extremely or significantly stressful and 37.8% moderately stressful. The frequency of exams is extremely or significantly stressful for 35.9% and moderately stressful for 37.6%.

Mental Health and Support Systems

Thoughts of self-harm or suicide in the last year were reported by 16.2% of MBBS students and 31% of MD/MS students. Over 10% of PG students admitted to planning suicidal attempts in the past year, while 4.44% attempted suicide in the same period.

Feelings of loneliness or social isolation are common among medical students, with 35% experiencing them always or often and 39.1% sometimes. Social connectivity is an issue for many; 32.3% find it difficult to make or maintain social connections, and 23.8% find it somewhat difficult.

Academic Pressure

The fear of failure affects UG students significantly, with 51.6% agreeing or strongly agreeing that it negatively impacts their performance. Additionally, 40.6% feel constant pressure to achieve top grades.

Regarding academic stress among PG students, 20% find the workload frequently challenging, 9.5% too intense, while 32% report manageable stress levels. Most PG students—84%—admitted experiencing moderate to very high stress levels.

Ragging and Harassment

A majority of UG students (76.8%) reported not experiencing or witnessing any form of ragging or harassment, while 9.7% reported such experiences. Among PG students, 18% reported that ragging still exists and affects them negatively.

Harassment from senior PG students in clinical settings was reported by 27%, while similar experiences from faculty and senior resident doctors were reported by 31%. Awareness regarding anti-ragging regulations is relatively high at 84%, but nearly 20% are unaware of these regulations.

Institutional Measures and Support

Most UG students (70.1%) believe their college has adequate measures to prevent and address ragging, while 14.1% disagree, and 15.8% are unsure. However, these measures alone are insufficient as indicated by the substantial proportion (18%) affected by ragging.

Faculty or mentors are seen as extremely unsupportive by 18.2%. A notable proportion (17%) of PG students reported inadequate support from their guide during their thesis work.

Substance Use and Mental Health Services

A significant number of PG students (19%) expressed the need to alleviate stress through substance use, including tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, and other drugs. Additionally, 26% recognised a strong association between stress and substance use among postgraduates.

Accessibility to mental health services is rated as very or somewhat inaccessible by 18.6%, and the quality of these services is perceived as very poor or poor by 18.8%.

Infrastructure Issues

A significant proportion of PG students are dissatisfied with hostel facilities; nearly half rated them as poor or extremely poor. Long working hours, continuous duty for two to five days, and inadequate infrastructure at workplaces contribute to stress.

The presence of ghost faculty in private medical colleges and instances of faculty engaging in private practice during working hours in government medical colleges are significant issues in the medical education sector.

The task force emphasised the need for effective stress management and mental health support structures within medical institutions to address these concerns adequately.

Educational institutions must maintain anti-ragging policies actively enforce them and ensure that students are aware of and comfortable accessing support systems.