I.V. Chorna

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the well-being, both mental and physical, of students worldwide. Medical students faced challenges in the educational process, including online education, uncertainty as for the terms of licensing exams, and limited practical experience. The present study aimed to compare the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of medical students from Ukraine, India, and African countries, focusing on the frequency of incidence of psychosomatic symptoms, anxiety/insomnia, social dysfunction, and depression. 230 students of the Academic and Research Medical Institute of Sumy State University were survey participants. The mental well-being of medical students was assessed using the General Health Questionnaire. The obtained data were analyzed using the statistical software PAST v4.03. It was found that 60 % of students had mental health disturbances during the COVID-19 pandemic. Symptoms of depression were detected in 15% of medical students, psychosomatic symptoms in 34%, anxiety and insomnia in 47%, and social dysfunction in 65% of respondents. The main psycho-emotional disorder in most students was social dysfunction, which was associated with limited social activity during quarantine. It was found that students from India and African countries had a higher incidence of depression than Ukrainian students. Obviously, being away from home during a pandemic has an additional negative impact on the mental health of international students. The frequency of anxiety and insomnia was higher among Ukrainians than among foreign students. Changes in learning environments and concerns about personal and family health have contributed to heightened anxiety levels among Ukrainian students. It should be noted that with the transition to online learning and communication, students had to spend more time in front of screens, which could contribute to digital fatigue, disrupt sleep patterns, and negatively affect mental well-being. The results of the study provided valuable insight into the mental health challenges faced by medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic with regard to their nationality, highlighting the need for targeted psychological support interventions for students to improve their mental health.

Introduction. The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting decline in social communication have negatively affected many people’s mental health, especially young people. This research aimed to investigate the mental health of Sumy State University medical students during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study was conducted from September 2020 to May 2021. Materials and Methods. The second-year students of the Academic and Research Medical Institute of Sumy State University participated in the study – 100 female and 100 male students. The average age of the students was 18–22 years. The mental health of the medical students was examined using the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). The total scores for mental health, psychosomatic symptoms, anxiety, insomnia, social dysfunction, and depression were investigated. The experimental data were analyzed using PAST statistical software v4.05. The research was conducted in compliance with the WMA Declaration of Helsinki’s “Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects” after obtaining consent from all participants. Results and Discussion. It was found that the COVID-19 pandemic caused mental health disorders in 63.5 % of medical students. There was no significant difference in the total GHQ score (> 8) between men and women. Social dysfunction occurred to be the most common mental health disorder in medical students. Somatic symptoms, anxiety, social dysfunction, and depression were observed in 37.5 %, 49 %, 64 %, and 14 % of medical students, respectively. The prevalence of social dysfunction and depression was higher in men than women. Conclusion. It was established that men experienced more significant disturbances in mental health than women during the COVID-19 pandemic.