Mumbai: With an aim to reduce suicidal tendencies among young doctors, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has prepared an e-book in collaboration with White Swan Foundation — ‘A guide to well-being for medical students’. “The e-book covers the common struggles of a medical students and offers coping strategies,” said a health official.
This comes after six medical students committed suicide this year. “IMA had also conducted a nationwide survey which revealed the fact the mental health of doctors and medical students is at extreme high level,” said a senior doctor.
For a first year medical student, the environment is completely different. Sometimes academic pressure, environment, and relationships with friends, seniors take a toll on the student’s mind. It makes him/her volatile, and he/she may slip into depression.
Dr Ravi Wankhedkar, treasurer, World Medical Association, said this e-book will help the first year medical students to cope with mental health and it is a comprehensive guide on how to get through medical college while being mentally healthy.
“Students come from different backgrounds and cultures. It takes them a lot of time to adjust to the new environment. Studies and work pressure, staying away from families, no communication with someone they could trust are the factors, owing to which a student plunges into depression and takes a final decision to commit suicide,” he added.
Dr Wankhede said it will also benefit the experts, doctors, senior professors and hospital administration to identify the stress and behavioural changes of medical students.
“Depression is on the rise among young doctors and medical students. The book will guide expert doctors, professors to handle mental stress among students in a better way,” he said.
