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Evaluating Student Mental Health Resource Utilization and Self-Perceived Mental Health

Journal: Journal of Osteopathic Medicine Date: 2025/12, 125(12):Pages: A712–714. doi: Subito , type of study: cross sectional study

Full text    (https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/jom-2025-2000/html)

Keywords:

anxiety [54]
cross sectional study [826]
depression [64]
medical students [644]
mental health [33]
osteopathic medicine [2016]
USA [1630]

Abstract:

Context: Medical students face significant academic and emotional stress, placing them at elevated risk for anxiety, depression, and burnout [1,2]. Although medical schools provide mental health resources, student utilization remains suboptimal and poorly understood, particularly among osteopathic students in the southwestern United States [3]. To strengthen student well-being, it is essential to identify gaps in service awareness, access, and satisfaction. This study investigates student-reported mental health, engagement with institutional support services, and perceived barriers to care to inform targeted improvements in wellness initiatives. Objective: To evaluate mental health status, patterns of mental health resource utilization, satisfaction with school-provided services, and barriers to accessing care among medical students at Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine. Methods: A cross-sectional, anonymous survey was distributed to all enrolled students at Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine between March and April 2025 via institutional email. The survey assessed mental health using the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), and evaluated student-reported use, satisfaction, and perceived barriers related to counseling resources such as TimelyCare, New Mexico State University Counseling Services, Florida Tech Holzer Health Center, and Circle of Care Behavioral Health Services [4]. Survey development was student-led, with input from faculty advisors and institutional IRB review. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and chi-square tests to examine relationships between PHQ-4 scores, service satisfaction, and utilization. A 22.3% response rate was targeted, based on comparable medical student surveys [5]. Results: Among respondents (n=64), the average PHQ-4 score was 8, indicating a moderate level of anxiety and depression symptoms. Despite this, 73% of students reported not utilizing any school-provided mental health resources. TimelyCare was the most accessed service among users, typically used 1-2 times per semester. No students reported using Florida Tech or Circle of Care services. Talk therapy was the most common service type used. Key barriers to utilization included limited session availability, lack of provider continuity, perceived superficial quality of care, financial limitations, and stigma, particularly around seeking support for issues like trauma or substance use [6,7]. Only 25% of students reported having a mental health provider outside of school services. When asked to rank factors influencing resource use, students prioritized cost, in-person access, and counseling quality. Remote access and continuity with the same provider were consistently ranked lower. Students also reported worsening mental health over the academic year, with 44% selecting “a little worse” as their current status compared to the start of the year [8]. Conclusion: Findings highlight significant underutilization of mental health resources among osteopathic medical students, despite the presence of moderate symptoms of anxiety and depression. Key barriers, such as perceived poor quality of care, limited availability of services, and stigma, emerged as top-ranked factors hindering access and engagement. These obstacles suggest systemic gaps in current support structures. Addressing affordability, continuity of care, and provider familiarity with the unique demands of medical training may reduce these barriers. The identified trends offer actionable insights for institutional mental health reform and can inform scalable interventions across other medical schools facing similar challenges.


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