Sheldon, E. orcid.org/0000-0002-1927-471X, Ezaydi, N. orcid.org/0000-0002-2642-1108, Desoysa, L. et al. (4 more authors) (2024) Barriers to help-seeking, accessing and providing mental health support for medical students: a mixed methods study using the candidacy framework. BMC Health Services Research, 24 (1). 738. ISSN 1472-6963
Abstract
Background The mental health of medical students is a national and international problem increasing in both demand and acuity. Medical students face barriers to accessing mental health support that is clinically effective, timely and appropriate for their needs. This mixed methods study aimed to explore experiences of these barriers and the challenges to health service delivery aligned to the Candidacy Framework.
Methods One hundred three medical students studying at The University of Sheffield completed an online survey comprising the CCAPS-34 and follow-up questions about service access and use. Semi-structured interviews with a nested sample of 20 medical students and 10 healthcare professionals explored barriers to service access and provision. A stakeholder panel of medical students and professionals met quarterly to co-produce research materials, interpret research data and identify touchpoints by pinpointing specific areas and moments of interaction between a medical student as a service user and a mental health service.
Results Medical students who experienced barriers to help-seeking and accessing support scored significantly higher for psychological symptoms on the CCAPS-34. Uncertainty and fear of fitness to practice processes were important barriers present across all seven stages of candidacy. The fragmented structure of local services, along with individual factors such as perceived stigma and confidentiality concerns, limited the progression of medical students through the Candidacy Framework (a framework for understanding the different stages of a person’s journey to healthcare).
Conclusion This study outlines important areas of consideration for mental health service provision and policy development to improve access to and the quality of care for medical students.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2024 The author(s). This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data. |
Keywords: | Access to health care; Candidacy Framework; Medical student; Mental health; Mixed Methods Research; Humans; Students, Medical; Male; Female; Mental Health Services; Health Services Accessibility; Adult; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult; Qualitative Research; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Interviews as Topic; Help-Seeking Behavior; Social Stigma |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health (Sheffield) > School of Medicine and Population Health The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Science (Sheffield) > Department of Psychology (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 03 Jul 2024 11:20 |
Last Modified: | 03 Jul 2024 11:20 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Springer Science and Business Media LLC |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1186/s12913-024-11204-8 |
Related URLs: | |
Sustainable Development Goals: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:214251 |