PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITION OF FUTURE DOCTORS DURING DISTANCE LEARNING

Abstract

The article presents the mental state study results of students of higher medical educational institutions during distance learning caused by quarantine measures due to COVID-19 pandemic.

The aim  – to make a comparative assessment of the mental health and quality of life of students in higher medical education during distance learning.

Material and Methods. The work was based on the results of a survey of 206 students of the III-IV course of the Faculty of Medicine, who study under the 222 "Medicine" program, during distance learning caused by quarantine measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We used a questionnaire based on Google Forms, which included questions about social demographic characteristics, PHQ-2 and GAD-2 scales, questions about distance learning, questions about quality of life.

Results. The factors that cause anxiety in the quarantine about COVID-19 have been identified, while the change in normal life scenarios is inferior to the possibility of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In distance learning, 77 out of 206 respondents (37.4 %) had severe depressive problems, while 54 out of 206 respondents (26.2 %) also had pronounced anxiety. In addition, 56.3 % of those surveyed experienced sleep problems during quarantine, with 7.8 % having daily problems despite living at home, where it is easier to regulate sleep compared to hostels. Changes in mental state negatively affected health-related quality of life, significantly more on the mental component than on the physical.

Conclusions. The study indicated that distance learning for university students, which was conducted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, can cause anxiety and depression in future doctors, and reduce the quality of sleep. The decrease in the quality of the mental component of the quality of life is especially dangerous. The obtained data must be used like a background in creating new distance courses and psychoprophylaxis programs.