Medical Student Mental Health: Peer to Peer Forums

While there are no official studies detailing the precise number of ‪med students‬ with ‪mental health‬ issues in Canada, data from elsewhere around the world suggests that the rate of ‪‎depression‬ among medical students can reach as high as 20% or 1 in 5. Though each university offers wellness services for their students, University of Western Ontario is the first to hold peer-to-peer forums where medical students come together to discuss ‪stress‬ and their personal mental health experiences including eating disorders, suicidal ideation, self-harm, depression and ‪anxiety‬.

The idea behind such peer forums are to help overcome the stigma of seeking help, for students to understand that they are not alone with regards to burn-out and mental illness, and to provide support, hope, and encouragement to one another.
"Chitpin estimates that at least half of the students who attended the forum have, or have had, mental health struggles.

In interviews, Chitpin, Sauvé and other students stated that they have to feel safe talking about what's going on inside their minds. They said they become more comfortable discussing their problems when they hear classmates share their personal mental health experiences. Having one or two trusted friends or classmates can often provide vital support."

Read the full story here:
http://www.cmaj.ca/site/earlyreleases/10nov15_medical-students-talk-openly-about-their-mental-cmaj.109-5151.xhtml

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