1. Medical students in distress: a mixed methods approach to understanding the impact of debt on well-being
- Author
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Yang, Adrienne, Langness, Simone, Chehab, Lara, Rajapuram, Nikhil, Zhang, Li, and Sammann, Amanda
- Subjects
Biomedical and Clinical Sciences ,Curriculum and Pedagogy ,Education ,Specialist Studies In Education ,Clinical Sciences ,Behavioral and Social Science ,8.1 Organisation and delivery of services ,Good Health and Well Being ,Humans ,Students ,Medical ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Male ,Female ,United States ,Stress ,Psychological ,Training Support ,Adult ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Career Choice ,Young Adult ,Psychological Distress ,Risk Factors ,Debt ,Well-being ,Specialty choice ,Burnout ,Diversity ,Public Health and Health Services ,Medical Informatics ,Clinical sciences ,Curriculum and pedagogy ,Specialist studies in education - Abstract
BackgroundNearly three in four U.S. medical students graduate with debt in six-figure dollar amounts which impairs students emotionally and academically and impacts their career choices and lives long after graduation. Schools have yet to develop systems-level solutions to address the impact of debt on students' well-being. The objectives of this study were to identify students at highest risk for debt-related stress, define the impact on medical students' well-being, and to identify opportunities for intervention.MethodsThis was a mixed methods, cross-sectional study that used quantitative survey analysis and human-centered design (HCD). We performed a secondary analysis on a national multi-institutional survey on medical student wellbeing, including univariate and multivariate logistic regression, a comparison of logistic regression models with interaction terms, and analysis of free text responses. We also conducted semi-structured interviews with a sample of medical student respondents and non-student stakeholders to develop insights and design opportunities.ResultsIndependent risk factors for high debt-related stress included pre-clinical year (OR 1.75), underrepresented minority (OR 1.40), debt $20-100 K (OR 4.85), debt >$100K (OR 13.22), private school (OR 1.45), West Coast region (OR 1.57), and consideration of a leave of absence for wellbeing (OR 1.48). Mental health resource utilization (p = 0.968) and counselors (p = 0.640) were not protective factors against debt-related stress. HCD analysis produced 6 key insights providing additional context to the quantitative findings, and associated opportunities for intervention.ConclusionsWe used an innovative combination of quantitative survey analysis and in-depth HCD exploration to develop a multi-dimensional understanding of debt-related stress among medical students. This approach allowed us to identify significant risk factors impacting medical students experiencing debt-related stress, while providing context through stakeholder voices to identify opportunities for system-level solutions.
- Published
- 2024