The Impact of Mental Health Distress on Academic Performance in Undergraduate Medical Education

Abstract

Mental health distress is a significant concern among medical students due to the high demands of medical training, which can negatively impact both well-being and academic performance.This study aimed to investigate the relationship between mental health status and academic performance among medical students.A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 214 medical students at Al-Rayan National Colleges. Mental health distress was measured using the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), and GPA served as the indicator of academic performance. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, and multivariate regression to examine associations between GHQ-12 factors and GPA categories.Higher levels of Anxiety and Depression and Social Dysfunction were significantly associated with lower GPA. Specifically, 52.9% of students classified as High-risk for Anxiety and Depression (P < 0.01) and 48.3% classified as High-risk for Social Dysfunction (P = 0.05) obtained a Moderately Good or Poor GPA. In contrast, 64.9% of students with Normal levels of Loss of Confidence achieved a Good GPA, with no significant association found between Loss of Confidence and academic performance (P = 0.752). These findings highlight that Anxiety and Depression and Social Dysfunction are more directly linked to academic outcomes than Loss of Confidence.These findings underscored the importance of addressing mental health distress in medical education. Integrating mental health services and fostering a supportive academic environment enhances academic performance. Future longitudinal studies are recommended to further understand the impact of mental health on academic success and develop effective intervention strategies.