More than half of medical students suffer from anxiety

Stress, shyness and a tendency to remain silent are some of the symptoms present in social anxiety disorder suffering from Students in general, medical students In particular, according to the study “Prevalence of Social Anxiety Disorder Among Medical Students in Khartoum State” published in Sudan Journal of Medical Sciences.

This psychological state is characterized by a Great concern about social interactions. Social phobia, as described by researchers, May affect grades Of college students, and in some cases, provocation Significant psychological and behavioral problems.

the pressure Which the youth had to face, like Suspension of university activity For political reasons, disturbances or climate emergencies, along with Changes in the educational system itself, led to various social anxiety disorders among students, the research authors explained.

Four medical students from four different universities in Sudan and Egypt participated in the study 375 medical students. The authors concluded that More than 60 percent of the students in the study experienced some degree of social anxiety disorderand more than 20 per cent had it “severe” or “extremely severe”.

He explains that “the main focus of the research was not to study the symptoms, but to find out the degree of prevalence and complications of this disorder.” Hazeem Abdul Jalil Suleiman, lead author of the study, which stands out among the complications, Poor academic performance, suicidal thoughts, and substance abuse problems.

pressure in academia

Experts consider that The stress that medical students are exposed to plays an important role The prevalence of this disorder among university students themselves.

He says, “Scientific majors generate psychological pressure and put pressure on students due to the large number of study subjects and the difficulty of medical scientific terminology.” Mohammed Fath al-BabProfessor at the Faculty of Medical Sciences Al-Madain University In Khartoum.

Moreover, changes affecting the teaching system in universities are additional pressures. “In most medical schools, classes have been shortened,” he explains. Abdalaziz Awad Alobeid, co-author of the study. “There is no official book on scientific topicsThis prompts students to rely on external books, unlike what is happening abroad.”

Khalid Mohammed Khalid El-HusseinVice Dean of the College of Medicine Omdurman National University, he thinks the problem is Reliance of some universities on imported study systems Which is modified by increasing the number of academic years or the number of exams. “This causes confusion and instability between faculty and students,” he adds.

In addition to, The upheaval caused by the political situation in the country has also contributed to increased levels of tension Of the students follow Hussein.

Psychological support for students

study aims Encouraging attention to social phobia and anxiety disorders, in addition to helping medical students deal with it, so they recommend Launching awareness programs to raise awareness. These programs may include definition of the disorder, stress management measures to relieve symptoms, and encouragement to seek psychological help.