Medical students’ perception towards mental health recovery

A descriptive qualitative study

Bibliographic Data

ID15328853
AuthorsJonathan Han Loong Kuek (0000-0001-8953-9229, The University of Sydney), Ghee Kian Koh (National University of Singapore), Jenna Qing Yun Ow Yong (0000-0002-7730-1181, National University of Singapore), Jenna Qing Yun OWYONG (National University of Singapore), Cyrus S H Ho (0000-0002-7092-9566, National University of Singapore), Yong Shian Goh (0000-0002-9610-5397, National University of Singapore, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume27
Issue1
Pages2106610-2106610
Publication date2022-07-27
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueMedical Education Online (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1087-2981 • E-ISSN: 1087-2981
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/10872981.2022.2106610
PMID35894690
OpenAlexW4288084996
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited37

The conceptualisation of recovery in mental healthcare, for which two definitions ('clinical' and 'personal') prevail, remains inconclusive. In most curricula of medical education, undergraduates are taught straightforward concepts of clinical recovery, which result in their perfunctory and rudimentary understanding. A qualitative descriptive approach was adopted to explore medical undergraduates' perceptions of recovery for people with mental health conditions. Participants were recruited from a Singapore-based university through convenience sampling; the required sample size was determined by data saturation. Individual face-to-face interviews were conducted through Zoom, an online conferencing platform using semi-structured questions from March to July 2021. Recordings of the interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) checklist guided the reporting of this study. Seventeen medical students with the majority (fifteen) of them in their fourth year of medical undergraduate education participated in this study. Four themes were identified: the relationship between mental illnesses and well-being; opinions on mental well-being; understanding of mental illnesses; and perceptions of recovery from mental illnesses. The medical undergraduates in this study predominantly conceptualised recovery based on functions, although many also agreed on respecting patients' perspectives in defining it. This aligns with contemporary approaches that emphasise more shared decision-making opportunities and empowering people with mental health conditions. Accordingly, our findings highlighted the need for foundational medical education to incorporate these constructs in their curricula and strategise to provide more meaningful discussions about them

Checklist · Curriculum · Medical education · Mental health · Pedagogy · Perception · Psychiatry · Qualitative research · Sociology · Adolescent and Pediatric Healthcare · Medicine · Mental Health and Patient Involvement · Mental Health Treatment and Access · Nursing · Psychology

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access