Medical students suffer mental health related problems. This is mostly triggered by all the work they have to cover. And the fact that they have to constantly be on top of their game to make the best physicians.
Many of them suffer in silence. Because they cannot find the balance. And all the work becomes really overwhelming. Some of them even become suicidal. And succumb to taking their own lives as a way to do away with the pressure.
First Mental Health Conference
The first ever National Conference on Medical Student Mental Health and Well-Being was held on 18 September 2019. It was hosted by Weill Cornell Medicine in New York.
Its main objective was to raise awareness of the mental distress that is faced by many medical students.
Sponsors of the event included:
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
- Association of American Medical Colleges
- Associated Medical Schools of New York
De-Stigmatizing Mental Health Problems
The conference was attended by Mental Health Researchers and Clinicians. They all shared the updated data on mental health among medical students.
This was an opportunity for the speakers and the students to freely have conversations on mental health. It was all aimed at de-stigmatizing the stigma around suffering from mental health problems. Or even talking about it.
The conference aimed at providing a safe space for the students to speak about what they are actually going through. To talk about the changes that are happening and how they are coping.
Suicide Prevention
This is a touchy topic for medical students. The speakers went about this topic with a lot of care. Because they were aware that suicide is a mental health problem that medical students face. And they had to be strategic on how to teach them on the prevention measures.
Some of the measures included:
1. Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Applications
Such applications have been created to give young people a platform to discuss anxiety and depression. This is where they can freely talk about what they are going through and get help.
2. School Administrators to be on the Watch
School administrators were urged to be on the lookout for students suffering from mental illness. They should come up with ways to identify such students. And also have programs that will help them through the process of dealing with the mental illness. Until they feel better.
Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed off. Everyone understands the pressure that is medical school. And everyone will understand if you succumb to the pressure. The main thing is to always seek help. And make sure you heal.
