Emotional reactions and coping strategies of medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic: an online cross-sectional study

Introduction: The coronavirus infection (СOVID-19) poses a concern for medical professionals. While attention has been given to front-line clinicians, very little is known about the impact of the pandemic on the health of medical students. Aim: The study aims at assessment of emotional reactions and basic feelings in association with specific coping strategies among a sample of medical university students in Kazakhstan during the COVID-19. Material and methods: A cross-sectional self-administered survey was undertaken in 279 students of Semey Medical University. Measurement tools included the visual-analog scales (VAS) for the evaluation of the basic emotions/feelings and coping behaviours and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale to detect potential signs of depression and anxiety. Data comparisons were provided using the ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Logistic regressions with odds ratio (OR) calculation were used to identify those demographic characteristics and coping activities that were related to depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 quarantine. Results: Overall, 17.6% of the respondents had symptoms of anxiety and 30.0% experienced depression, while 3.6% reported intense fear, 5.7% anger, 9.3% boredom, and 5.7% disappointment. The mean of the anxiety score was significantly higher among undergraduate students (p=0.019) and residents trianees (р=0.035). While undergraduate students and interns were more likely to engage in physical activities (p=0.020), write diaries (p=0.029), and play videogames (p=0.008), residents and postgraduate students engaged more with clinical activities as a coping mechanism to reduce stress (p=0.006). The odds of having anxiety symptoms were 1.56 times higher for those who reported active blogging in social media during the lockdown. In contrast, self-education was inversely related to the presence of anxiety symptoms (OR = 0.73). For depressive symptoms, age (OR=0.88), focusing on self-education (OR=0.68) and television watching (OR=0.76) were the alleviating factors in the multivariate regression model. Individuals using alcohol were 1.65 times more likely to develop depression. Conclusions: The study provides the first insights into the emotional reactions and the coping strategies adopted by Kazakhstani medical students during the COVID-19 quarantine. Findings will inform future preventative efforts to safeguard their health, especially during challenging times.