Publication details
Na existenciální úzkosti u studentů medicíny záleží: pilotní studie výskytu fenoménu u českých studentů medicíny
| Title in English | Existential anxiety in medical students matters: an exploratory pilot study of the occurrence of the existential distress phenomenon in the Czech medical students |
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| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2024 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | https://www.palmed.cz/pm/article/view/201 |
| Keywords | existential anxiety; fear of death; medical students; professional identity; psychological support; reflective learning |
| Description | Background: Existential anxiety is not only the experience of the terminally ill. The study of medicine exposes students to death and dying from the outset. To integrate reflection on existential anxiety into medical education, it is essential to explore its prevalence and characteristics among medical students. Methods: We conducted an electronic questionnaire survey at the Faculty of Medicine, in which 622 students participated (394 general medicine students and 228 students from other health disciplines). The survey explored students’ experiences of existential anxiety and attitudes towards its inclusion in the curriculum. Results: The results showed that a significant proportion (47.9%) of medical students experienced existential anxiety, with no significant difference in it´s prevalence between students of general medicine and other health disciplines. In addition, 87.5% of students believed that patients do not openly discuss their existential distress with health professionals. 96% believed that healthcare professionals should have the skills to address existential distress. 86% felt that addressing their own existential anxiety should be part of the medical psychology course. Students reported various challenges in communicating about existential distress with patients, including difficulty finding the right words (57.4%), concerns about their emotional reactions (52.6%), and fears about patients’ emotional reactions (48.1%). Conclusions: The present pilot study shows that fear and anxiety. related to death and dying are highly prevalent among medical students. It suggests that existential anxiety may be an important issue that needs to be addressed theoretically and practically during undergraduate education of health professionals. |