Psychiatric symptoms in medical students

• Published in: Comprehensive psychiatry 1984-11, Vol.25 (6), p.552-565
• Main Authors: Lloyd, Camille, Gartrell, Nanette K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Mental Disorders - psychology; Psychological Tests; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Social psychiatry. Ethnopsychiatry; Sociocultural environment; Students, Medical - psychology
• ISSN: 0010-440X; 1532-8384
• DOI: 10.1016/0010-440X(84)90036-1

The current study examined the presence of psychiatric symptomatology in a sample of medical students. Results demonstrated that while medical students evidenced levels of symptomatology that were considerably lower than those previously reported in outpatient psychiatric samples, they evidenced considerably higher symptom levels than those previously reported in a general population survey. Compared to the general population, medical students showed a mild elevation in somatic symptoms, a moderate elevation in anxiety and depressive symptoms, and a substantial elevation in obsessive-compulsive symptomatology and in interpersonal sensitivity. The marked elevations in obsessive-compulsive symptomatology and in interpersonal sensitivity may reflect, in part, a sensitization to excessive performance demands that is manifested by anxiety-induced cognitive inefficiencies such as indecisiveness, blocking, or memory impairment and by excess sensitivity to the evaluative opinions of other individuals. In comparing students from the four classes, there was no significant relationship between the year in school and symptom level. In examining sex differences, women reported a significantly higher level of total symptomatology and higher symptom levels on four of the five subscales examined. The largest sex differences were observed in the symptom areas of depression and interpersonal sensitivity.