Supporting future doctors: Mental health help-seeking behaviour in medical students at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

Abstract

Abstract Studies have shown that medical students may have higher rates of mental distress than the general population. Serious consequences thereof include academic failure, substance use and suicide attempts. In the wake of recent media reports of suicide in university students, mental health help-seeking behaviours and associated barriers to help-seeking in clinical year medical students at the University of Witwatersrand were examined. It was found that although formal mental healthcare was viewed favourably, medical students most often sought assistance from family members or friends rather than trained mental health professionals. The most commonly reported barriers to seeking mental healthcare were lack of time (primarily due to academic obligations) and fears of stigma and discrimination from colleagues and superiors. The need for support structures to be more easily accessible to medical students is highlighted by these findings, as well as the importance of lecturers and university staff being more familiar with the mental health screening of medical students.