Background

Studies of physicians show that the prevalence of mental illnesses such as depression, addiction and burnout is higher than in the general population. However, the psychosocial stress experienced by physicians does not only begin at the start of their careers, but also during their studies. For example, medical students show above-average levels of anxiety, depression, signs of burnout syndrome and suicidal thoughts, with an increasing tendency over the course of their studies.
Promoting health-conscious behavior during medical school is one way to counter this development as early as possible. Curricular content can sharpen students' awareness of their own mental and physical health.

Aim

FIT during medical school aims to improve the mental and physical health of medical students at the MHH. The aim is to train more health-conscious and resilient graduates who can optimally meet the challenges of their studies and the medical profession. To this end, courses relating to the topic of student health are to be identified and networked. The courses should start early in the degree program and be anchored longitudinally and interdisciplinarily in the overall curriculum.

Funding

This project is funded by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture.

Project team

Prof. Dr. Kambiz Afshar (project manager)
Prof. Dr. Sandra Steffens (deputy project manager)
Nora M. Laskowski (research assistant)
Tanja Schleef (research assistant)

Contact: afshar.kambiz@mh-hannover.de