An astonishing 37,000 medical students have reported to the government's medical education authority that they have mental health conditions that may be dangerous. This has prompted the agency to recommend a variety of measures, such as suicide watch and regulated duty hours.
"The tip of the iceberg" was how a psychiatrist at the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi put the alarming statistics.
130 medical students had committed suicide in the previous five years, according to data collected by the National Medical Commission, which led the creation of an online survey. Medical students and faculty members answered a survey with information regarding mental health conditions they were dealing with, ranging from severe stress and work-related anxiety to paralyzing anxiety.
The NMC established a 15-member committee to examine the problem and create solutions because of concerns about the number of students experiencing mental health issues.
The NMC has made recommendations following the overwhelming response to the online survey. These include gatekeeper programs for identifying and preventing suicide, regulating duty hours for post-graduate students, improving student facilities, creating a more welcoming work environment, and providing 24-hour professional counseling services.
This month, these suggestions will be presented to the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry for implementation across all of the nation's medical schools.
Some of the universal recommendations under discussion are: improving anti-ragging measures; providing adjustment support and orientation to new students in medical colleges so they understand their roles and responsibilities; providing facilities for the college; providing strategies for dealing with home sickness; raising awareness through awareness campaigns; and enforcing international regulations restricting medical postgraduate students' duty hours to no more than 80 hours per week. PG students are currently working up to 100 hours a week without a break," a government source who asked to remain anonymous stated.
Plans are also being discussed to strengthen the mentor-mentoring program and address issues raised by the teachers. The official stated that efforts are being made to make the workplace student-friendly for medical students. "A new initiative—the gate-keepers program—will start to prevent suicide and identify vulnerable students and exclusive 24x7 professionals counseling services will commence to counsel students via government's tele-manas portal," the official added.
Graduate, post-graduate, and faculty members participated in four sections of an online survey on mental health issues.
"More than 37,000 applications from faculty and students studying medicine have been received, which suggests that doctors are under stress mentally. The majority of students have issues with ragging, which we are trying to streamline, and with hostels. The primary and secondary education systems in our country have undergone reforms; however, there is now no work regulation for higher education. We have instructed states to loosen the state government's seat-leaving bond regulation for postgraduate students," the second official stated, requesting anonymity.
"There is a psychiatry department in every hospital, but because of stigma, students do not complain.When a student is stressed, he will let his peers or teachers know first. stepping up efforts to combat sexual harassment and ragging. Equal numbers of UG and PG medical students have committed suicide in the past 130 days. This implies that 25–26 students commit suicide annually," the official continued.
The committee is assessing and analyzing survey data to create regulations.
"This is only the very beginning." There may be a far greater number of physicians who are dealing with mental health issues. According to the study, almost 70% of doctors experience burnout. They perceive a lack of enjoyment in their work, a lack of drive, a lack of contact within the medical community, and extremely low acceptability,"
Dr. Nand Kumar, a psychiatry department professor at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), in New Delhi.
The union health ministry representative did not respond to inquiries until press time.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Priyanka Pandey/MSM)
