Professional identity and mental health of rural-oriented tuition-waived medical students in Anhui Province, China
Abstract Background The shortage of primary care physicians in rural China is an enduring problem with serious implications for access to care. In response to the shortage in health workforce in rural areas, China government has launched the rural-oriented tuition-waived medical education (RTME) pro...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2019-06-01
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| Series: | BMC Medical Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12909-019-1603-1 |
| _version_ | 1819147899560263680 |
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| author | Ling Wang Yuwei Yang Jimin Zhu Hong Xie Chunxiao Jiang Chi Zhang Jie Li Fen Huang |
| author_facet | Ling Wang Yuwei Yang Jimin Zhu Hong Xie Chunxiao Jiang Chi Zhang Jie Li Fen Huang |
| author_sort | Ling Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The shortage of primary care physicians in rural China is an enduring problem with serious implications for access to care. In response to the shortage in health workforce in rural areas, China government has launched the rural-oriented tuition-waived medical education (RTME) programme since 2010, aiming to train more general practitioners to address the rural health workforce requirements in middle and west areas. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of mental illness and the level of professional identity in the rural-oriented tuition-waived medical students (RTMSs), and to explore the impact of the RTMSs’ professional identity and related cognition and satisfaction with the RTME programme on mental health. Methods We conducted a descriptive, cross-sectional study. A total of 1103 RTMSs and 1095 non-oriented medical students from seven medical universities (colleges) in Anhui province completed a demographic questionnaire, the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales and the Professional Identity Questionnaire for Undergraduate Students. Cognition and satisfaction with the RTME programme of the RTMSs were collected. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the data. Results The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress in RTMSs were 11.8, 22.9 and 3.4%, respectively. The mean total scores of the Professional Identity Questionnaire for Undergraduate Students were 3.58 (SD = 0.61). Results of multiple linear regression model indicated that students who are dissatisfied with targeted primary healthcare institution are likely to suffer from depression and anxiety; moreover, students who enrolled in the rural-oriented tuition-waived medical education programme due to economic reason are more likely to suffer from anxiety. Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was found between professional identity and mental health. Conclusions Providing better information about the RTME programme prior to enrollment and improving the students’ cognition of the policy’s effectiveness and the social value of rural healthcare work may contribute to improving the professional identity of the RTMSs. Meanwhile, a significant positive association was found between professional identity and mental health. This is a new perspective that shows that developing and improving professional identity may help medical students reduce the risk of psychological illness. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T13:37:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-28e92288d0a649519961df7982c15385 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6920 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T13:37:09Z |
| publishDate | 2019-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medical Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-28e92288d0a649519961df7982c153852022-12-21T18:24:01ZengBMCBMC Medical Education1472-69202019-06-0119111010.1186/s12909-019-1603-1Professional identity and mental health of rural-oriented tuition-waived medical students in Anhui Province, ChinaLing Wang0Yuwei Yang1Jimin Zhu2Hong Xie3Chunxiao Jiang4Chi Zhang5Jie Li6Fen Huang7Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical UniversityDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical UniversityDepartment of Public Health and General Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese MedicineSchool of Nursing, BengBu Medical CollegeDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical UniversityDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical UniversityDepartment of Teaching Center for Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical UniversityDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical UniversityAbstract Background The shortage of primary care physicians in rural China is an enduring problem with serious implications for access to care. In response to the shortage in health workforce in rural areas, China government has launched the rural-oriented tuition-waived medical education (RTME) programme since 2010, aiming to train more general practitioners to address the rural health workforce requirements in middle and west areas. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of mental illness and the level of professional identity in the rural-oriented tuition-waived medical students (RTMSs), and to explore the impact of the RTMSs’ professional identity and related cognition and satisfaction with the RTME programme on mental health. Methods We conducted a descriptive, cross-sectional study. A total of 1103 RTMSs and 1095 non-oriented medical students from seven medical universities (colleges) in Anhui province completed a demographic questionnaire, the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales and the Professional Identity Questionnaire for Undergraduate Students. Cognition and satisfaction with the RTME programme of the RTMSs were collected. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the data. Results The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress in RTMSs were 11.8, 22.9 and 3.4%, respectively. The mean total scores of the Professional Identity Questionnaire for Undergraduate Students were 3.58 (SD = 0.61). Results of multiple linear regression model indicated that students who are dissatisfied with targeted primary healthcare institution are likely to suffer from depression and anxiety; moreover, students who enrolled in the rural-oriented tuition-waived medical education programme due to economic reason are more likely to suffer from anxiety. Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was found between professional identity and mental health. Conclusions Providing better information about the RTME programme prior to enrollment and improving the students’ cognition of the policy’s effectiveness and the social value of rural healthcare work may contribute to improving the professional identity of the RTMSs. Meanwhile, a significant positive association was found between professional identity and mental health. This is a new perspective that shows that developing and improving professional identity may help medical students reduce the risk of psychological illness.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12909-019-1603-1RTMEMedical studentsProfessional identityMental health |
| spellingShingle | Ling Wang Yuwei Yang Jimin Zhu Hong Xie Chunxiao Jiang Chi Zhang Jie Li Fen Huang Professional identity and mental health of rural-oriented tuition-waived medical students in Anhui Province, China BMC Medical Education RTME Medical students Professional identity Mental health |
| title | Professional identity and mental health of rural-oriented tuition-waived medical students in Anhui Province, China |
| title_full | Professional identity and mental health of rural-oriented tuition-waived medical students in Anhui Province, China |
| title_fullStr | Professional identity and mental health of rural-oriented tuition-waived medical students in Anhui Province, China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Professional identity and mental health of rural-oriented tuition-waived medical students in Anhui Province, China |
| title_short | Professional identity and mental health of rural-oriented tuition-waived medical students in Anhui Province, China |
| title_sort | professional identity and mental health of rural oriented tuition waived medical students in anhui province china |
| topic | RTME Medical students Professional identity Mental health |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12909-019-1603-1 |
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