Frontiers in Psychology (May 2022)

Mental Health Among Medical Students During COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

  • Qingwen Jia,
  • Yi Qu,
  • Huiyuan Sun,
  • Huisheng Huo,
  • Hongxia Yin,
  • Dianping You

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.846789
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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BackgroundThe mental health of medical students is an issue worthy of attention, especially during COVID-19. Many studies have shown that depression and anxiety are the main problems faced by medical students. To assess the pooled prevalence of depression and anxiety among medical students worldwide, we conducted this meta-analysis.MethodsAccording to PRISMA, we used a computerized strategy to search studies in EMBASE, PubMed, PsycArticles, Web of Science, and China Biology Medicine disc. The pooled prevalence of depression and anxiety was calculated by a random-effects model. Heterogeneity was explored by subgroup analysis. Sensitivity analysis and publication bias were also carried out in this meta-analysis.ResultsOf 1316 studies, 41 studies were selected based on 36608 medical students. The pooled depression prevalence was 37.9% (95% CI: 30.7–45.4%), and pooled anxiety prevalence was 33.7% (95% CI: 26.8–41.1%). The prevalence of depression and anxiety among medical students varied by gender, country, and continent.ConclusionThe data reported that the prevalence of depression and anxiety among medical students during COVID-19 was relatively higher than those of the general population and the healthcare workers. The impact of COVID-19 on medical students and how to protect the mental health of medical students are needed to determine through further research.Systematic Review Registration[https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021274015], identifier [CRD42021274015].

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