84% of PG medical students experience moderate to very high-stress levels, while 64% say workload adversely affects mental health: Survey

The report of the National Task Force on Mental Health and Well-being of Medical Students-2024 has revealed that 84% of postgraduate (PG) medical students experience moderate to very high-stress levels, while 64% say that workload adversely affects their mental health and well-being.

The report of the National Task Force on Mental Health and Well-being of Medical Students-2024 has revealed that 84% of postgraduate (PG) medical students experience moderate to very high-stress levels, while 64% say that workload adversely affects their mental health and well-being.

The report, based on a nation-wide online survey, also showed that an “alarmingly high” 27.8% of undergraduate (UG) medical students and 15.3% of PG students voluntarily indicated having a diagnosed mental health disorder, and 16.2% UG students and 31.2% PG students reported having had suicidal ideation.

They cited factors such as long working hours daily, continuous duty days, and inadequate infrastructure and support as the contributing stressors. “This underscores the need for effective stress management and mental health support structures within medical institutions,” the report argued, having elicited response from 25,590 UG students, 5,337 PG students, and 7,035 faculty members.

Around 19% of PG students expressed the need to alleviate stress through substance use, including tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, and other drugs. Hence, there was an urgent need to take measures to educate the students and also implement measures to curtail stress, the report said.

With medical training presenting various challenges, including intense competition, emotional stress, financial burden, interpersonal conflicts, limited personal time, and inadequate support, creating an environment conducive to mental health issues, the National Medical Commission (NMC) had formed task force headed by Suresh Bada Math, Professor of Psychiatry, NIMHANS, Bengaluru. The task force conducted an online survey on the mental health and well-being of medical students across the nation.

The study also finds a link between the high expense of medical education and its link to stress. Around 60.1% of students who responded to the survey felt that their stress and well-being are impacted by financial concerns. A large majority of 72.2% find their stipend insufficient, “pointing to a critical need for review and adjustment of stipend policies.” While 58.4% said they receive their stipends regularly, 41.6% do not, indicating potential areas for improvement. Nearly 50.7% of the PG students said they have financially dependent families.

Financial stress is a significant issue of UG students as well, with 33.9% students finding their finances extremely or significantly stressful. Educational loans or debt are held by 27.2%, and among them 32.7% said they feel extreme or significant pressure about repayment.