A significantly higher percentage of medical students suffer from depression than most young adults, the Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges reported in the February edition of Academic Medicine.
The study, titled “Depressive Symptoms in Medical Students and Residents: A Multischool Study,” showed that 21.2 percent of medical students suffer from depression, while only eight to 15 percent of the general young adult population is affected.
Kimberly Ephgrave, a University of Iowa surgery professor and a contributor to the study, said she was not surprised by the results. Ephgrave said the medical school student population generally has not had to deal with the amount of stress frequently seen in that environment, where grades can be low and hours can be long.
“This group of people has not had the experience of being below average for most of their lives,” she said. “Half of the people will be below average, which is a difficult thing to attest to.”
Ephgrave also noted that the workload for medical school is intensive.
“The workload is about the limit of what anyone could be expected to accomplish,” Ephgrave said. “If you are not bright, you are unable to accomplish it.”
Despite the high level of stress inherent to the medical school experience, Ephgrave said experience — at least during her time at the University of Iowa — tells her that few students drop out.
“More than 90 percent of students graduate,” Ephgrave said, noting that students with depression are more likely to take longer to graduate and perhaps to drop out completely.
While the results of the study are concerning, they are not nearly as severe as they may seem when compared to the greater student population, said University Student Health Director James Turner, who also serves as an internal medicine professor.
“Among college students, there is a national survey that indicated that 15 percent of students are diagnosed with depression at some time in their lives,” Turner said. “When you compare medical students with the general student population, the results are not so stark.”
Turner also noted that the University currently offers several avenues of support for University students seeking psychological counseling and care.
“The Medical School is a very nurturing environment,” Turner said, noting that the school has developed tutoring services for students experiencing academic difficulties.
“People need to feel very comfortable seeking appropriate psychological care and psychiatric care,” Turner added.
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