Mental health of medical students at the Federal University of Amapá (UNIFAP): an approach to stress, sleep and quality of life

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.159532509016

• Palavras-chave: Mental health; Sleep quality; Quality of life; Medical education.

• Keywords: Mental health; Sleep quality; Quality of life; Medical education.

• Abstract:

  The mental health of medical students, due to the high student demands, is an important field, especially in terms of the variables of psychological distress. The aim of this study was to analyze the profile of medical students at UNIFAP, using two stages of instruments: socioeconomic, Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SQR-20); Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Quality of Life abbreviated version (WHOQOL-bref). Fifteen students were interviewed. The majority, 73.3%, were aged 19-24, 66.7% were female and 53.3% self-declared white; 53.4% had no religion, 93.3% were single and 87.7% lived with their families. Family income was advantageous, with 33.3% earning between 5-10 minimum wages; 46.7% came from private secondary schools; 80% of the students had never worked. Quality of life was found to be regular on the WHOQOL-bref. The PSS ranged from 0-56 points. It is inferred that the higher the value, the more suggestive the level of stress. The PSS applied resulted in an average of 31.73 and 28.93 in the 1st and 2nd stages, respectively. The sleep quality of 60% of the students was poor, and this was maintained in both stages. As for the SQR-20, in both applications, 80% of the participants in the 1st stage and 73.33% in the 2nd stage scored ≥7, indicating the presence of mental distress. This study, therefore, shows the need for understanding and welcoming spaces for this aspect of current academic suffering.