Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32964660›Full record

ArticleAsia-Pacific psychiatry : official journal of the Pacific Rim College of Psychiatrists2020

The prevalence of psychological distress and its association with coping strategies among medical interns in Malaysia: A national-level cross-sectional study.

Munirah Ismail, Kun Yun Lee, Afandy Sutrisno Tanjung, Ida Anum Ahmad Jelani, Rabiah Abdul Latiff, Hashimah Abdul Razak, Nor Izzah Ahmad Shauki

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Asia-Pacific psychiatry : official journal of the Pacific Rim College of Psychiatrists, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
25citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
6.2field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

25 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 40 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. What Are the Common Themes of Physician Resilience? A Meta-Synthesis of Qualitative Studies.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Munirah IsmailInstitute for Health Management, Ministry of Health, Shah Alam, Malaysia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5864-5384
Kun Yun LeeInstitute for Health Management, Ministry of Health, Shah Alam, Malaysia.
Afandy Sutrisno TanjungWilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur & Putrajaya State Health Department, Ministry of Health, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Ida Anum Ahmad JelaniKedah State Health Department, Ministry of Health, Alor Setar, Malaysia.
Rabiah Abdul LatiffHospital Tawau, Ministry of Health, Tawau, Malaysia.
Hashimah Abdul RazakHospital Kuala Lumpur, Ministry of Health, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Nor Izzah Ahmad ShaukiInstitute for Health Systems Research, Ministry of Health, Shah Alam, Malaysia.
Ministry of Health · MY

Funding

Ministry of Health Research Grant, Malaysia NMRR-16-1230-29844
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe prevalence of psychological distress is increasing worldwide. Stressful working environments and high expectations in medical practice put doctors at high risk of depression, anxiety, and stress, especially among medical interns. Effective coping strategies may reduce psychological distress in the clinical setting. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of psychological distress and its association with coping strategies among medical interns in Malaysia.

methodA total of 431 medical interns at 26 Malaysian Ministry of Health hospitals participated in this cross-sectional study in 2017. Self-administered questionnaires consisting of sociodemographic characteristics, items from DASS and BRIEF COPE were used. Descriptive analysis was done followed by further analysis with chi-square and Spearman correlation tests.

resultsThe prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression was 29.7%, 39.9%, and 26.2%, with a significantly higher prevalence among female and younger interns. Three-quarters of them (73.1%) applied problem-focused strategies as the main coping mechanism. Emotion-focused coping strategies showed a significant but weak correlation with anxiety and stress whereas avoidance-based coping strategies were significantly correlated with depression, anxiety, and stress. DISCUSSION: Medical internship is a highly grueling period. Besides emphasizing clinical competency, internship training should also impart the practice of healthy coping mechanisms. The vulnerable groups of females and younger interns should be taught positive coping skills so that they are empowered to handle any stressors on their personal and professional lives. Optimum psychological wellbeing of the medical interns can improve the overall work performance and quality of care for patients.

Indexed as

anxietyCOPEdepressionhousemanshipstress

Identifiers

PMID32964660
PMCPMC8243927
OpenAlexW3082491194

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.