Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41039498›Full record

ArticleBMC medical education2025

Mental health and financial concerns in medical students: insights from a cross-sectional study in Germany.

Anne Jenet, Judith Tillmann, Jan Ehlers, Kerstin Herzog, Julia Nitsche, Klaus Weckbecker, Eva Münster

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical education, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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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.

Anne JenetInstitute of General Practice and Primary Care, Chair of General Practice I and Interprofessional Care, Witten/Herdecke University, Alfred-Herrhausen-Str. 50, Witten, 58455, Germany.
Judith TillmannInstitute of General Practice and Primary Care, Chair of General Practice I and Interprofessional Care, Witten/Herdecke University, Alfred-Herrhausen-Str. 50, Witten, 58455, Germany.
Jan EhlersChair of Didactics and Educational Research in Health Care, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany.
Kerstin HerzogDepartment of Social Work, Hochschule RheinMain, Wiesbaden, Germany.
Julia NitscheChair of Didactics and Educational Research in Health Care, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany.
Klaus WeckbeckerInstitute of General Practice and Primary Care, Chair of General Practice I and Interprofessional Care, Witten/Herdecke University, Alfred-Herrhausen-Str. 50, Witten, 58455, Germany.
Eva MünsterInstitute of General Practice and Primary Care, Chair of General Practice I and Interprofessional Care, Witten/Herdecke University, Alfred-Herrhausen-Str. 50, Witten, 58455, Germany. Eva.Muenster@uni-wh.de.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNumerous students in Germany are affected by mental health disorders. International studies indicate that financial concerns represent a significant risk factor for the onset of mental health issues among students. Medical students may be particularly vulnerable due to the prolonged and often demanding nature of their studies. However, there is currently no data on this topic in Germany. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of financial concerns among medical students and whether there is an association with their mental health.

methodsFrom April to May 2024, an anonymous cross-sectional study was conducted among all medical students at a private university in Germany using an online questionnaire. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression.

resultsA total of 663 medical students participated in the study (response rate: 63.4%), of whom 564 participants (54.0%) were included in the analysis. 44.7% of students reported below-average mental health, and an additional 22.7% were severely impaired mental health. 55.7% reported financial concerns, and 23.6% had debts. Students with financial concerns were approximately three times more likely to be mentally impaired (32.8%) compared to students without financial concerns (10.1%). Compared to men, women had almost four times higher odds of experiencing mental impairment. Additionally, students with a moderate to very poor general physical health status had more than three times higher odds of having below-average mental health (aOR = 3.31; 95% CI: 1.60–6.85). Financial concerns also increased the likelihood of having below-average (aOR = 2.04; 95% CI: 1.33–3.14) or impaired mental health (aOR = 6.20; 95% CI: 3.19-12.00).

conclusionFor the first time in Germany, this study uncovered widespread financial concerns, debt, and significant correlations between financial concerns and poor mental health among medical students at a private university. There is an urgent need for further research to better understand the causes and consequences of this issue and to develop targeted countermeasures and support services at both the political and university levels. Early counselling and therapy options addressing both mental health challenges and financial concerns are crucial for mitigating their impact on academic performance and ensuring the well-being of future medical professionals.

Indexed as

Mental DisordersMental HealthStudents, MedicalAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleGermanyHumansMaleSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung AdultDebtFinancial concernsFinancial toxicityMedicinePsycheUniversity

Identifiers

PMID41039498
PMCPMC12490077

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Registered trials

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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.