ArticleBMC psychiatry2022
Mental health status of medical students during postgraduate entrance examination.
Article in BMC psychiatry, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- From positive psychology to practical empowerment: theoretical construction and pathway innovation in graduate student mental health education.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Pooled it
- The effect of meditation on exam anxiety of nursing students: a randomized clinical trial.Irish journal of medical science · 2026Article
- Prevalence and predictors of anxiety and depressive symptoms among medical students of Ebonyi State University Abakaliki, Nigeria.Discover mental health · 2026Article
- Academic foundation and postgraduate exam success: the serial mediating roles of psychological state and behavioral engagement.BMC medical education · 2026Article
- Sleep Quality and Associated Factors Among Medical Students in Tropical China: A Cross-Sectional Study in Hainan Province.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- The impact of multiple factors on medical students' test anxiety: the mediating role of psychological resilience.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Factors associated with psychological distress among family caregivers of preschool children with autism: an analysis.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Association of chronic stress during studies with depressive symptoms 10 years later.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- The Effect of Super Brain Yoga on Concentration, Memory, and Academic Progress in Nursing Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study.International journal of community based nursing and midwifery · 2024Article
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- Factors influencing death attitudes of medical students: a scoping review.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
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- Comparison of Baseline and Test Day Cardiovascular Parameters, Anxiety Scores and Coffee Consumption Among Medical Students Undergoing Objective Structured Clinical Examinations in Jordan.International journal of general medicine · 2023Article
- Social Media Usage and Academic Performance Among Medical Students in Medina, Saudi Arabia.Advances in medical education and practice · 2023Article
- Article
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Authors and funding
12 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundThe postgraduate entrance examination can be a milestone for many medical students to advance their careers. An increasing number of students are competing for limited postgraduate offers available, and failure to enter postgraduate studies can have adverse mental health consequences. In this paper, we aim to investigate the mental health status of medical students during the postgraduate application entrance examination and to provide a targeted basis for mental health education and psychological counselling.
methodsUsing the Symptom Checklist-90 scale (SCL-90) questionnaire, the mental health status of 613 students who passed two rounds of the Postgraduate Entrance Examination in 2019 to enroll in Guangzhou Medical University in China was evaluated and followed up for retesting 6 months later. We used SPSS 20.0 statistical software for comparative analysis, including One-Sample T-Test, Independent-Samples T-Test, Paired Samples T-Test and Chi-square Test.
resultsOur data showed that 12.10% of students had mental health problems during the postgraduate entrance examination, and it decreased significantly to 4.40% at the 6-month follow-up after the examination period finished (P < 0.01). Somatization was the most significant symptom of the students both during and after the postgraduate entrance examination stages. All SCL-90 factors were scored significantly lower both in and after the postgraduate entrance examination stages than the 2008 national college student norm score (P < 0.01). Excluding psychiatric factors, all other SCL-90 factors in the postgraduate entrance examination stage scored higher than the graduate stage (P < 0.05), and the total score of SCL-90 in female medical students was higher compared to male students (P < 0.05).
conclusionThe postgraduate entrance examination event has a significant negative influence on students' mental health. The mental health of college and graduate students as an important part of their higher education experience should be systematically studied, and psychological counselling or help should be provided to them throughout their studies, specifically during the examination period. Educating applicants about mental health should be implemented during the postgraduate entrance examination curriculum.
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