A survey conducted online by the National Medical Commission (NMC) task force revealed concerning mental health statistics among medical students. About 28% of undergraduate and 15% of postgraduate students reported mental health issues. Alarmingly, 3% of postgraduate medical students have reported such issues. The survey, conducted after several student suicides, found that 15.7% of undergraduates and 31% of postgraduates had contemplated suicide. It included 25,590 undergraduate students, 5,337 postgraduate students, and 7,035 faculty members across medical colleges in the country.
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The survey showed that 19% of undergraduates found mental health services at medical colleges inaccessible, and 19% rated the quality of these services as poor. Among postgraduate students, 39.6% were uncomfortable seeking help, and 44% of all students never sought help due to privacy concerns. Stigma was a significant barrier, with 20% of respondents fearing societal judgment. Additionally, 16% of postgraduates cited unspecified challenges, while concerns about future job prospects (9%) and licensing issues (1%) also deterred them from seeking support.
The NMC task force emphasized the need for medical colleges to adopt the Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (Tele-MANAS) initiative to offer 24/7 on-campus support. They also recommended that resident doctors should not work more than 74 hours a week, with no shift exceeding 24 hours.
Dr. B N Gangadhar, NMC chairman, commented on the immense pressure medical students face, noting the high expectations and the toll it takes on their mental health. He stressed the importance of addressing these issues to prevent further tragedies and highlighted the need for round-the-clock support through initiatives like Tele-MANAS and reduced working hours for resident doctors.
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