Improve Management of Stress-related Mental Disorders in Chinese Medical Students: A Randomized Controlled Study

Background Depression, burnout and reduced clinical empathy are the most prevalent mental disorders in medical students. Effective strategies to improving the situations are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of teaching an interventional course tailored to the needs of senior Chinese medical students. Methods Our study enrolled a total of 146 senior medical students from Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University between March 2016 and June 2016 for analysis. The study designed an interventional course based on the preliminary data revealed by a pilot study group (5 pre-clinical students and 5 interns), and the control group got the traditional courses. Before and after the courses, our study required all students to complete five self-assessment questionnaires to evaluate the score of depression, burnout, empathy, self-efficacy (SE), and quality of life (QoL). Results After the courses, the interventional group had significantly higher empathy and QoL scores, compared to the control group (111.0 vs 106.0, P = .012, and 32 vs 29.5, P = .04, respectively). While depression scores in the interventional group were significantly lower than those in control group (P = .02). However, there were no significant differences in burnout and self-efficacy scores between both groups. Conclusions Our interventional course had a positive impact on the stress-related mental disorders of Chinese medical students, which may help provide novel information for incorporation into the “wellness curricula” of medical schools.