Being a Medical Student in the Shadow of a Pandemic: Psychological Reactions of Medical Students in the Covid- 19 Pandemic and Their Views on Online Learning

Abstract

Objective: In this study, it is aimed to determine the psychological reactions of pre-clinical medical school students to the COVID-19 pandemic and their views on online learning. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 722 medical students. Data were collected with an online questionnaire between 20 and 27 December 2020. A data collection form including questions about sociodemographic characteristics, opinions about online learning, the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, and the Insomnia Severity Index scales was used. Results: The mean age of the participants was found to be 20.7 +/- 1.6 years. 393 (54.4%) of them were women. 671 (92.9%) of the students stated that they were concerned about the disruption of their education due to the pandemic, and 76.3% (n=551) preferred the face-to-face education environment in their schools to the online learning environment. Of the students, 181 (25.1%) had symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 171 (23.6%) had symptoms of insomnia. The probability of posttraumatic stress disorder was higher in women than in men (OR=1.489, 95% CI=1.02-2.16; p=0.038). In those who have relatives who have contracted COVID-19, compared to those who have not (OR=1.489.95% CI=1.02-2.16; p=0.038), and those with an increased fear of COVID-19 transmission to their relatives were less likely to have PTSD symptoms than those with or without (OR=0.523, 95% CI=0.339-0.807; p=0.003). In addition, those who followed the news about COVID-19 from social media were more likely to have symptoms of PTSD in October than those who followed it from other sources (OR=0.662, 95% CI=0.461-0.951; p<0.001). The probability of PTSD symptoms was significantly higher in students who had high anxiety about the disruption of their education due to the pandemic than in those who had little or no (OR=1.310, 95% CI=1.111-1.543; p=0.001). Conclusions: Medical students are experiencing the psychological effects of the pandemic and are seriously concerned about the disruption of their education.