Isolation from friends on central campuses, exacerbated by poor transport links, and a lack of practical mental health support provided by universities are two areas having a negative impact on vet student wellbeing. Here Pip Sears discusses some of the issues and suggests improvements that could be made.

Veterinary students have reported feeling overwhelmed by the volume of content they are required to learn during their undergraduate training, which is also exacerbated by a lack of time to consolidate their learning. Here Pip Sears discusses some of the issues and solutions that could be considered.

The current Medical Education system of India, with its enormous workload and academic demands tend to cause the medical students stress. There is evidence showing medical students at a higher risk of depression, anxiety and burnout compared to other Indian students. Despite, the huge reported numbers, the proportion of students and doctors who seek help for their problems is alarmingly low. One of the reasons provided for the same is stigma towards mental health and an apprehension regarding labels and treatment history on the careers of the students. Increased awareness and with a National Health Programme catered towards mental health, there has been a boost in the utilization and provision of mental health services but it rarely translates into better mental health facilities for the healthcare providers. The special set of challenges faced by a medical students are gradually being recognized and efforts are being made to address them. Curriculum guidelines, teaching methods, student welfare centres and helplines have been the areas of intervention. There should also be changes in approaches towards the students who face problems and providing a safe environment for them to discuss their problems, including encouraging peer support. Thus, a fine balance needs to be present between ensuring the protection of the mental health of a medical student and ensuring a quality medical education for them. Further exploration to address stigma and building empathy among the students and evaluation of the intervention methods devised to address the same becomes very necessary to ensure fruitful interventions. It is the need of the hour to help Indian Medical students overcome their struggles with mental health.

Background Social media addiction has emerged as a growing concern, particularly among young adults, including medical students who face unique stressors and demands. The widespread usage of social media platforms can lead to addictive behaviors affecting mental health, academic performance, and interpersonal relationships. Understanding the relationship between social media addiction, personality traits, social interaction, and overall well-being is crucial for developing effective interventions to support this vulnerable group. Aim To study the relationship of social media addiction with social interaction, well-being, and personality in medical students. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 300 students from a medical institution, including both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Data were collected through an online survey, administered via Google Forms. Social Media Addiction Scale-Student Form (SMA-SF), Social Interaction Anxiety Scale and Social Phobia Scale, Medical Student Well-Being Index (MSWBI), Three-Item Loneliness Scale (T-ILS), and Short Big Five Inventory Scale (BFI-10) were applied to all the participants. Results A total of 292 medical students participated in the study, comprising 122 males and 170 females. The analysis revealed that both male and female students exhibit similar levels of susceptibility to social media addiction, as evidenced by comparable scores on measures of social media addiction, social interaction anxiety, social phobia, loneliness, well-being, and personality traits. Regression analysis identified time spent on social media and agreeableness as significant predictors of social media addiction, with no signs of multicollinearity. These findings indicate that male and female medical students share similar psychological profiles, highlighting critical factors that influence social media usage within this population. Conclusion This study highlights a significant prevalence of social media addiction among medical students, affecting 76.7% (n = 224) of participants, with slightly higher rates observed among females (n = 132, 78%) compared to males (n = 92, 72%). This addiction correlates with adverse psychological traits such as heightened social interaction anxiety, social phobia, and loneliness, along with personality traits like neuroticism. Both genders exhibit similar susceptibility to addiction, influenced by factors such as time spent socializing and agreeableness. Addressing these findings through targeted interventions could improve medical students' overall well-being and mental health outcomes, underscoring the need for further research and effective strategies in academic settings.

Background: Burnout among resident physicians during training has been prevalent, prompting training centers to introduce interventions at the individual or organizational level. However, empirical evidence is crucial before implementing such programs in practice.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of individual and organizational interventions in reducing burnout among resident physicians. Searching was done across five databases-PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Embase, and Cochrane Library from 1 December 2023 to 26 August 2024. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement was used for our reporting of study selection process. Eligibility criteria were randomized or non-randomized designs, with prospective intervention, with a comparator group focused on individual or organizational interventions reducing burnout, in any language and publication date. The Maslach Burnout Inventory scores for emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and personal accomplishment (PA) were the three outcome measures. Two investigators independently extracted the data. The risk of bias was evaluated using Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials (RoB2) and non-randomized studies of interventions (ROBINS-I). Cohen's d and heterogeneity was estimated using a random-effects DerSimonian-Laird model and visualized by forest plots. Sensitivity analyses were carried out by leave-one-out meta-analysis.

Results: We identified 33 eligible studies (n = 2536), comprising 25 (75.8%) individual intervention studies and 8 (24.2%) organizational intervention studies. Cohen's d for individual intervention versus control were as follows: EE -0.25 (95% CI -0.40 to -0.11, p < 0.01, I² = 49.3%), and DP -0.17 (95% CI -0.32 to -0.03, p = 0.02, I² = 50.0%). The organizational intervention showed no significant association with any domain. Sensitivity analyses were robust in all outcomes, with differences in intervention description and design identified as potential contributors to heterogeneity.

Conclusions: Various interventions, including individual coaching, meditation, and organization interventions, have been implemented to improve resident burnout. The effectiveness of intervention demonstrated none to small practical significance in improving burnout. Data inconsistency and high risk of bias across studies limited the validity of the pooled results. Further studies should focus on a combined approach.

Registration: The study was registered on PROSPERO, under PROSPERO registration number CRD42022349698.

This article explores the diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in general practice. It examines the subtypes of MCI and their specific diagnostic criteria for different neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, fronto-temporal dementia and cerebrovascular disorders. It highlights the preferential use of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) over the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) for detecting MCI. A MoCA score below the norm (< 26 points) warrants a more thorough diagnostic work-up, including a full neuropsychological assessment and possibly brain imaging.

Burnout has become a significant occupational concern for resident physicians, primarily attributed to chronic workplace stressors, inadequate work-life balance, high expectation from attending staffs, steep learning curve, and limited patient care experience. The study aimed to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of burnout in medical residents. This cross-sectional study was conducted online questionnaire of all specialists in a university hospital from September to October 2022. Burnout was assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel. The data collection encompassed information on socio-demographics, working conditions, psychiatric issues, and medical errors as potential predictive variables. To analyze the association between these factors and burnout, a confounder summary score model was employed in four separate models utilizing multivariable logistic regression. A total of 238 participants, the average age of participants was 28.1 years (SD 2.7), and 56.2% of them were female. Weekly working hours averaged 75 (SD 21.8). Burnout prevalence was 46.3%. This prevalence was characterized by high levels of emotional exhaustion (57.1%) and depersonalization (36.1%), along with low levels of personal accomplishment (52.4%). Summary of association in each domain with burnout were as follow: demographic determinants, (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.80, 95% CI 1.68-4.64), working conditions (aOR 2.97, 95% CI 1.54-5.71), psychiatric determinants (aOR 2.47, 95% CI 1.77-3.45) medical errors (aOR 2.14, 95% CI 1.05-4.34). Medical residency training programs should provide a supportive system that actively monitors and addresses depressive symptoms. Implementing preventive measures, such as increasing pay rates, can play a role in mitigating burnout.

Background/aim: Physicians work under high levels of stress due to factors such as excessive workload, emotional factors, and economic variables. This leads to various health problems such as depression, burnout, fatigue, and hopelessness, resulting in decreased interest in a medical career and an increase in career choice regret.

Materials and methods: The study included 300 volunteer resident physicians from Ankara University Medical Faculty Hospital. The data for the research were collected using a survey form prepared by reviewing the literature. The survey consisted of three parts, which questioned the physicians' sociodemographic characteristics and professional choices, including the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-Short Form (DASS-21) items and the Decision Regret Scale.

Results: Of the physicians, 216 (72.0%) chose the medical faculty due to personal preference. The percentage of those who were not regretful about their career choice was 14.3% (n = 43). Those not regretful about their career choice had fewer years in the profession than the others. According to the categorical assessment of the DASS-21, 73.7% (n = 221) of the physicians had depressive symptoms ranging from mild to severe, 78.7% (n = 236) had anxiety symptoms ranging from mild to severe, and 57.7% (n = 173) had stress symptoms ranging from mild to severe.

Conclusion: Mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and stress were common among the resident physicians independent of their sociodemographic characteristics, and this was also associated with the level of career regret. Improving working conditions and personal benefits, addressing economic and other issues for physicians, ensuring their well-being, preventing the development of mental health problems, and early screening and rehabilitation for those affected not only have personal benefits but also contribute positively to job satisfaction, strengthen the patient-physician relationship, and have a significant impact on healthcare services.

Background: The knowledge about job demands, control, and support, and their potential associations with burnout risk among physicians in Sweden, is limited. This study aimed to explore (i) factors of the JobDemand-Control-Support (J-DCS) model across different groups of physicians in Sweden, (ii) their association with high burnout risk, and (iii) the potential buffering impact of job control and support.

Methods: Cross-sectional data from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Health in Healthcare Survey (LOHHCS) study cohort was used. In 2021, a total of 2032 respondents submitted questionnaire data comprising J-DCS measures (i.e., job demands, workplace control and task-level control, and social support from peers and managers). Burnout risk was measured using the Burnout Assessment Tool. Binary logistic regression models were used to investigate the associations between the J-DCS variables and high burnout risk. Interaction analysis was performed to explore any moderation of the associations.

Results: Job demands were significantly associated with increased odds of high burnout risk (odds ratio (OR) 2.71, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.91-3.84. Workplace control (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.35-0.71) and peer support (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.48-0.77) were significantly associated with reduced odds of high burnout risk. The interaction analysis showed no significant moderation of the association between job demands and high burnout risk by either peer support or workplace control, and no buffering impact was found.

Conclusion: Job demands were associated with high burnout risk among physicians in Sweden. Although workplace control and peer support had inverse associations with high burnout risk, no moderation or buffering impact on the association between job demands and high burnout risk was found. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these associations.