The roles of attachment and resilience in perceived stress in medical students

Background: Medical students are susceptible to high levels of psychological stress, while being equipped with lower levels of resilience, especially females. Adult attachment is a known risk factor for a broad range of mental health difficulties and poor coping. The purpose of this study is to examine relationship attachment style, perceived stress, and resilience in medical students.Methods: Data was collected via an online survey using self-report measures from University of Saskatchewan undergraduate medical students (n = 188). Attachment was assessed with the Relationship Questionnaire and Experiences in Close Relationships Scale. Resilience and stress were assessed with the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and Perceived Stress Scale, respectively.Results: Approximately half of our sample endorsed secure attachment style (49.4%). Females reported significantly more attachment insecurity, higher attachment anxiety, higher perceived stress, and lower resilience compared to males, as expected. As predicted, attachment anxiety and avoidance were predictors of perceived stress. Mediation analyses supported the hypothesis that resilience acted as a partial mediator between attachment insecurity and perceived stress.Conclusion: These findings suggest attachment plays a role in perceived stress in medical students. In addition, the role of resiliency in protecting against this effect highlights potential areas for intervention to improve medical student well-being and provides a foundation for longitudinal follow-up.

Warning: Medical education is hazardous to your mental health. Medical students should make an informed decision to begin and continue training

For decades there has been ample evidence that training to become a physician and practicing medicine is hazardous to one’s health and wellness. In the face of the extremely high rates of suicide, substance abuse, depression and burnout in the medical student, resident, and physician populations, it would be dishonest to suggest medical education and practice is all gain and no pain. This article is directed to members of the medical education community and challenges stakeholders to view their teaching and training of medical students as an intervention requiring free and informed consent. We hope this exercise shifts the paradigm of educators and enables students to enter medical training from a free and informed position.Depuis des décennies, il existe amplement de preuves à l’effet que la formation t et la pratique de la médecine peuvent compromettre la santé et le bien-être de la personne. Face aux taux extrêmement élevés de suicide, de toxicomanie, de dépression et d’épuisement professionnel tant chez les étudiants, les résidents que les médecins, il serait faux de prétendre qu’on est ou qu’on devient médecin sans faire de sacrifice. Cet article s’adresse aux acteurs du milieu de l’éducation médicale pour les inciter à considérer la formation qu’ils donnent aux étudiants en tant qu’intervention nécessitant le consentement libre et éclairé de ces derniers. Nous espérons que cet exercice amènera les enseignants à changer de paradigme et les étudiants à entreprendre leur formation médicale de façon libre et informée

Mise en garde : les études de médecine peuvent mettre la santé mentale des apprenants à rude épreuve. Les étudiants en médecine doivent pouvoir faire le choix d’entamer et de poursuivre leur formation en connaissance de cause

For decades there has been ample evidence that training to become a physician and practicing medicine is hazardous to one’s health and wellness. In the face of the extremely high rates of suicide, substance abuse, depression and burnout in the medical student, resident, and physician populations, it would be dishonest to suggest medical education and practice is all gain and no pain. This article is directed to members of the medical education community and challenges stakeholders to view their teaching and training of medical students as an intervention requiring free and informed consent. We hope this exercise shifts the paradigm of educators and enables students to enter medical training from a free and informed position. Depuis des décennies, il existe amplement de preuves à l’effet que la formation t et la pratique de la médecine peuvent compromettre la santé et le bien-être de la personne. Face aux taux extrêmement élevés de suicide, de toxicomanie, de dépression et d’épuisement professionnel tant chez les étudiants, les résidents que les médecins, il serait faux de prétendre qu’on est ou qu’on devient médecin sans faire de sacrifice. Cet article s’adresse aux acteurs du milieu de l’éducation médicale pour les inciter à considérer la formation qu’ils donnent aux étudiants en tant qu’intervention nécessitant le consentement libre et éclairé de ces derniers. Nous espérons que cet exercice amènera les enseignants à changer de paradigme et les étudiants à entreprendre leur formation médicale de façon libre et informée