Abstract
Purpose: It has been reported that medical schools have a higher suicide rate than other faculties and depression and suicide among doctors and nurses is becoming a social problem. The purpose of this research was to conduct mental health surveys by the medical and nursing education and training process and to determine the current situation and develop a suicide prevention program based on early intervention for those at risk due to depression. The subjects consist of medical and nursing students as well as the interns and nurses, who are in the first year on the job. Subjects and method : First-, third- and fifth-year medical students and first- and third-year nursing students were surveyed in April using the Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS). Interns and nurses in their first year of employment were surveyed in April and June and again in March the following year using the SDS and General Health Questionnaire 30 (GHQ30) in addition to the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ) and a survey of their working hours. Interviews were conducted with participants whose SDS score of 50 or more indicated that they might be in a depressive state. Results: While few of the medical students showed signs of depression, after three months as interns, approximately 20% of the trainee doctors were suspected of being in a depressive state due to the burden of high qualitative demands. Among the nurses and nursing students, depression was suspected in 20% of the students in their third year of study, which involves practical nursing experience, and in 30% of the nurses, both when surveyed in June in their first year of employment and also in March the following year, due to the high qualitative and physical demands of their work. Conclusion: Having identified the periods during the medical and nursing education and training process when depression is likely to occur, this research could lead to suicide prevention through timely use of mental health surveys and intervention, enabling early diagnosis and treatment.
