PhD Scientific Days 2022

Mental Health Sciences I. (Poster discussion will take place in the Aula during the Coffee Break)

Near-Peer Mentoring Program in Medical School: Another Way of Student Support

Text of the abstract

Introduction: The mentoring program at Semmelweis University was designed to develop the soft skills of medical students and facilitate their professional and personal development. Mentoring programs are strategies for mental health prevention and the promotion of medical education.
Aims: The research aimed to compare the levels of perceived stress, social support, well-being, and resilience of first-year students after the implementation of a peer mentoring program to those students who did not participate in the program.
Methods: A cross-sectional pilot study was carried out at the end of the fall semester. The outcomes were assessed by comparing two groups of medical students (one that had been participating in the mentoring program since the admission, while the other one did not participate in it). Self-report instruments were used for the data collection on sociodemographic, resilience (CD-RISC), perceived social support (MSPSS), well-being (WBI-5), perceived stress (PSS), somatic symptom severity (PHQ).
Result: A total of 122 first-year medical students were included: 69 students received and 53 did not receive mentoring. One Way ANOVA showed no statistically significant difference among the groups in terms of social support (F(1,120) = 0.029, p = 0.865) and well-being (F(1,120) = 2.898, p = 0.091). The analyses also showed statistically significant differences among the groups in terms of resilience (F(1,120) = 4.127, p = 0.044), and perceived stress (F(1,120) = 4.472 p = 0.037). The linear regression analyses revealed no significant effect of mentoring on medical students’ well-being (F(2, 119) = 61.835; p = 0.001), perceived stress (F(4, 117) = 52.136; p = 0.001), resilience (F(2, 119) = 45.707; p = 0.001) or social support (F(2, 119) = 17.723; p = 0.001).
Conclusion: In conclusion, the present pilot study sought to demonstrate the extent to which the mentoring program contributes to student well-being, resilience, perceived stress, and social support, however, no significant changes were found. Nonetheless, mentoring programs could greatly improve students, with the sensitization they will grow both humanly and professionally so that later they will be the best possible professionals in the field of health care. Mentoring programs in medical schools are much needed.
Funding: No funding was obtained for this study.