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The interplay between mindfulness, depression, stress and academic performance in medical students: A Saudi perspective.

ABSTRACT: There is a growing body of research that shows a significant association between mindfulness and mental health. However, studies on Saudi populations are still in their infancy. Mindfulness is a personal tendency to focus on the present time in a non-judgmental manner, including the interior and exterior experience of feelings and events. The first aim of this study is to examine the relationship between mindfulness, stress, depression, and academic performance in a sample of medical students from King Saud University. The second aim is to explore the potential moderation effects of mindfulness on the impact of stress on academic performance and depression in the study population. This cross-sectional study examined 289 medical students who were selected by a stratified random sampling technique and completed validated online questionnaires measuring mindfulness, stress, and depression. The data were analyzed using SAS version 9.2, and R software was used for graphs. Correlation analysis showed that mindfulness is inversely associated with depression and stress, but not with academic performance. Furthermore, multiple logistic regression showed that mindfulness can predict both depression and stress. We also found that two subscales of mindfulness can moderate the relation between stress and depression: non-judging of inner experience and describing. The findings suggest that a higher mindfulness score is associated with lower depression and stress levels and could buffer against depression in a stressful environment. There is a need for further research to investigate the relation of mindfulness with positive psychological outcomes, as well as experimental trials to examine the efficacy of mindfulness training on improving mental wellbeing in our community.

SUBMITTER: Alzahrani AM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7122761 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The interplay between mindfulness, depression, stress and academic performance in medical students: A Saudi perspective.

Alzahrani Ahmed M AM Hakami Ahmed A AlHadi Ahmad A Batais Mohammed A MA Alrasheed Abdullah A AA Almigbal Turky H TH

PloS one 20200403 4

There is a growing body of research that shows a significant association between mindfulness and mental health. However, studies on Saudi populations are still in their infancy. Mindfulness is a personal tendency to focus on the present time in a non-judgmental manner, including the interior and exterior experience of feelings and events. The first aim of this study is to examine the relationship between mindfulness, stress, depression, and academic performance in a sample of medical students fr ...[more]

PMID: 32243468

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Project description:IntroductionThere is growing interest in Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program to combat mental distress in medical students. In Saudi Arabia, literature is insufficient about MBSR and its effectiveness. This study aims to measure the effectiveness of MBSR in improving mindful state, stress, anxiety, and depression in medical students. Also, the study explores the association between the attendance rate of MBSR sessions and its effectiveness. Lastly, the study examines gender differences in response to MBSR.MethodsThis is a stratified randomized controlled study of 84 medical students from two medical schools in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. They were recruited voluntarily from November 2018 to April 2021, and allocated to MBSR and waitlist groups using a stratified randomization method based on gender. MBSR group received eight weeks of sessions through audiovisual materials. An online survey utilizing validated questionnaires assessing stress, mindfulness, anxiety, and depression was used to evaluate both groups pre-program (time 0), post-program (time 1), and three months later (time 2).ResultsSeventy-one participants completed the post-test (time 1). There were no differences between study groups at time 0 and 1. However, in 41 subjects who completed the follow-up test (time 2), the anxiety dropped significantly in MBSR group (mean difference (MD), -3.935; 95% CI, -7.580 to -0.290). Furthermore, attending more MBSR sessions was inversely correlated with depression (r, -0.556; P, 0.002), and anxiety (r, -0.630; P, 0.000). Compared to their baseline, males in MBSR group improved in stress (MD, 3.08; 95% CI, 0.30 to 5.86), anxiety (MD, 4.91; 95% CI, 3.32 to 6.50), and mindfulness (MD, -0.58; 95% CI, -1.01 to -0.15), while females improved in stress (MD, 2.64; 95% CI, 0.02 to 5.26).ConclusionDespite the study being interrupted by the stressful COVID-19 outbreak, the findings suggest that MBSR improved psychological outcomes when participants commit to the program.

Project description:IntroductionThe circumstances of the COVID-19 lockdown offered an opportunity to develop remote educational strategies in medical education.ObjectivesTo assess medical students' experiences with online e-learning (OeL) satisfaction, intellectual environment, and communication during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted at the College of Medicine, University of Bisha, Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire (21 items) was used to evaluate OeL in three domains of satisfaction (nine items), intellectual environment (seven items), and communication (five items). Students from years one to six were invited to fill out the questionnaire form with five-point Likert scale responses. Descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and independent t-test were used to evaluate the association between variables.ResultsOut of 237 participants, 96.6% (158 male and 71 female) responded to the questionnaire. Most students (86.5%) preferred the blackboard for their e-learning. The mean total scores were 30.18 ± 6.9 out of 45 for satisfaction, 19.67 ± 5.4 out of 25 for communication 25.43 ± 5.1 out of 35 for the intellectual environment. Over 50% of the students rated moderate scores on satisfaction and intellectual environment domains. About 85% of the students rated moderate scores in the communication domain. Male students rated higher significant scores than female students for satisfaction (31.3 ± 6.3 vs 27.6 ± 7; P < .001) and intellectual environment (26.3 ± 4.32 vs 3.5 ± 6.1; P < .001). There were no significant differences in students' responses to the tested domains related to GPA level. Significantly higher levels of scores for satisfaction (33.3 ± 5.6 vs 28.8 ± 6.9; P < .001) and communication (21.2 ± 4.5 vs 18.9 ± 5.7; P = .019) were obtained by clerkship students than pre-clerkship.ConclusionsMedical students' experiences with e-learning are encouraging, which might be more effective with continuous training programs for students and tutors. Although OeL is an acceptable methodology, further studies are needed to analyze its impact on the target learning outcomes and students' academic achievement.

Project description:BackgroundThe current study aimed to evaluate the previously unexplored correlation between undergraduate medical students' attendance during their surgical clerkship and their academic performance. It also aimed to explore any difference in the attendance rate between male and female students and whether this difference, if present, affects the academic performance.MethodsA retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study has been conducted on 331 undergraduate medical students during their surgical clerkships at the College of Medicine and Medical Sciences (CMMS) at Arabian Gulf University (AGU), Bahrain from September 2018 to June 2020.ResultsThere was a positive statistically significant correlation between students' attendance during surgical clerkship and academic performance (r = 0.360, P < 0.01). Mean attendance rate was greater in each increasing category of academic performance: 47.95% in the weak category (less than 65%, n = 42), 57.62% in the good performance category (65% to less than 75%, n = 108), 67.82% in the very good performance category (75% to less than 85%, n = 126), 83.16% in the excellent performance category (85% and above, n = 55). The mean attendance rate of male students was 59.76% (SD = 25.73), compared to 66.92% (SD = 24.30) in the female students. T-test indicated that the difference between the mean attendance of the two groups of the students (male, female) was statistically significant (t = 2.483, p < 0.05). On the other hand, the difference between the mean academic performance for the two groups of students, male & female, (t = 0.284, p = 0.777) was not statistically significant.ConclusionsOur study showed a significant relationship between undergraduate medical students' attendance during their surgical clerkship and their academic performance. Further studies are needed to stratify this correlation according to clinical and theoretical teaching activities. No significant difference was observed in academic performance between female and male students.

Project description:Distress and burnout among medical and psychology professionals are commonly reported and have implications for the quality of patient care delivered. Already in the course of university studies, medicine and psychology students report mental distress and low life satisfaction. There is a need for interventions that promote better coping skills in students in order to prevent distress and future burnout. This study examines the effect of a seven-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme on mental distress, study stress, burnout, subjective well-being, and mindfulness of medical and psychology students.A total of 288 students (mean age =?23 years, 76% female) from the University of Oslo and the University of Tromsø were randomly allocated to an intervention or control group. The control group continued with their standard university courses and received no intervention. Participants were evaluated using self-reported measures both before and after the intervention. These were: the 'General Health Questionnaire, Maslach Burnout Inventory Student version, Perceived Medical School Stress, Subjective Well-being, and Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire' and additional indices of compliance.Following the intervention, a moderate effect on mental distress (Hedges'g 0.65, CI =?.41, .88), and a small effect on both subjective well-being (Hedges'g 0.40, CI =?.27, .63) and the mindfulness facet 'non-reacting' (Hedges'g 0.33, CI =?.10, .56) were found in the intervention group compared with the control group. A higher level of programme attendance and reported mindfulness exercises predicted these changes. Significant effects were only found for female students who additionally reported reduced study stress and an increase in the mindfulness facet 'non-judging'. Gender specific effects of participation in the MBSR programme have not previously been reported, and gender differences in the present study are discussed.Female medical and psychology students experienced significant positive improvements in mental distress, study stress, subjective well-being and mindfulness after participating in the MBSR programme.NCT00892138.

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The interplay between mindfulness, depression, stress and academic performance in medical students: A Saudi perspective.

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The interplay between mindfulness, depression, stress and academic performance in medical students: A Saudi perspective.

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