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Flourishing or Languishing? Predictors of Positive Mental Health in Medical Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Carmen Concerto

    (Psychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Alessandro Rodolico

    (Psychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Valentina Lucia La Rosa

    (Department of Educational Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy)

  • Barbara Aiello

    (Psychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy)

  • Miriam Martinez

    (Psychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy)

  • Sebastiano Stuto

    (Psychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy)

  • Carmenrita Infortuna

    (Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences, Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, 98121 Messina, Italy)

  • Laura Fusar-Poli

    (Psychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy)

  • Maria Salvina Signorelli

    (Psychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy)

  • Elena Commodari

    (Department of Educational Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy)

  • Fortunato Battaglia

    (Department of Medical Sciences, Neurology, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA)

  • Eugenio Aguglia

    (Psychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy)

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, medical students were burdened with high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. The objective of the present study was to investigate predictors of positive mental health among medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted an online survey from September 2021 to March 2022. We applied the snowball recruitment technique involving medical students from the University of Catania, Italy. We administered, anonymously, a questionnaire about demographic characteristics, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A), and the short form of the Mental Health Continuum (MHC-SF). Participants showed moderate anxiety, depression, and stress levels, and more than half had positive mental health status overall. This finding was inversely related to age, depression severity, cyclothymic, and depressive temperaments. Our results showed that medical students with depressive and cyclothymic temperaments were more at risk of worsening mental health status during the pandemic. Our findings may allow for further developments about the impact of personological characteristics on students’ mental health to enable more efficient support for the most vulnerable.

Suggested Citation

  • Carmen Concerto & Alessandro Rodolico & Valentina Lucia La Rosa & Barbara Aiello & Miriam Martinez & Sebastiano Stuto & Carmenrita Infortuna & Laura Fusar-Poli & Maria Salvina Signorelli & Elena Commo, 2022. "Flourishing or Languishing? Predictors of Positive Mental Health in Medical Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-11, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:23:p:15814-:d:986326
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Carmenrita Infortuna & Francesco Gratteri & Andrew Benotakeia & Sapan Patel & Alex Fleischman & Maria Rosaria Anna Muscatello & Antonio Bruno & Rocco Antonio Zoccali & Eileen Chusid & Zhiyong Han & Fo, 2020. "Exploring the Gender Difference and Predictors of Perceived Stress among Students Enrolled in Different Medical Programs: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-8, September.
    2. Carmenrita Infortuna & Steven Silvestro & Keith Crenshaw & Maria Rosaria Anna Muscatello & Antonio Bruno & Rocco Antonio Zoccali & Eileen Chusid & Jordan Intrator & Zhiyong Han & Fortunato Battaglia, 2020. "Affective Temperament Traits and Age-Predicted Recreational Cannabis Use in Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-7, July.
    3. Ahmed Alsoufi & Ali Alsuyihili & Ahmed Msherghi & Ahmed Elhadi & Hana Atiyah & Aimen Ashini & Arwa Ashwieb & Mohamed Ghula & Hayat Ben Hasan & Salsabil Abudabuos & Hind Alameen & Taqwa Abokhdhir & Moh, 2020. "Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical education: Medical students’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding electronic learning," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(11), pages 1-20, November.
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