Introduction Medical education is proven to be associated with a high degree of psychological stress. Different coping strategies used by students have been investigated on their efficacy. So far, studies on medical students have been limited to a single population. Aim of the study Our study aimed to identify differences in the prevalence of depressive symptoms, anxiety, stress levels, and defense mechanisms among two groups of medical students, the Polish and English-speaking divisions. Materials and methods The study included two groups of first-year medical students, the Polish and English-speaking divisions, comprising 305 participants ( n = 204 Polish, n = 101 English, men = 127, women = 176). It was divided into two periods: the students received author questionnaires during an exam-free academic period and then completed the same questionnaires during an exam session. The survey contained questions pertaining to demographics and studying habits among participants and included the Defense Style Questionnaire and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales. Data were analyzed using STATISTICA version 12.0, and p ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Results Polish medical students presented with significantly increased overall stress levels ( p = 0.007858) and depressive symptoms ( p = 0.030420) compared to the English division students. Polish students also presented with more symptoms of stress, depression, and anxiety during the exam period compared to the exam-free period ( p = 0.000625), which did not apply to the English-speaking students. The English division students reached higher scores in the mature defense mechanisms section than the Polish students ( p = 0.000001). The use of mature defense mechanisms correlated negatively with the intensity of stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms in both groups, while immature defense mechanisms promoted higher values of those variables ( p = 0.000001). Conclusions Our study showed significant and multidirectional differences between medical students of the Polish and English divisions attending the same university. Such results could suggest that strategies aimed at reducing depressive symptoms among medical students ought to be adapted towards the needs of a specific population.

中文翻译：

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波兰和英国医学生的压力水平、焦虑、抑郁症状和防御机制的评估

引言 医学教育被证明与高度的心理压力有关。对学生使用的不同应对策略的有效性进行了调查。到目前为止，对医学生的研究仅限于单一人群。研究目的 我们的研究旨在确定两组医学生（波兰语组和英语组）在抑郁症状、焦虑、压力水平和防御机制的流行率方面的差异。材料和方法 该研究包括两组一年级医学生，波兰语和英语系，包括 305 名参与者（n = 204 波兰语，n = 101 英语，男性 = 127，女性 = 176）。它分为两个时期：学生在免考试期间收到作者问卷，然后在考试期间完成相同的问卷。该调查包含与参与者的人口统计和学习习惯有关的问题，包括防御方式问卷和抑郁焦虑压力量表。使用 STATISTICA 12.0 版分析数据，p ≤ 0.05 被认为是显着的。结果 与英语系学生相比，波兰医科学生的总体压力水平 (p = 0.007858) 和抑郁症状 (p = 0.030420) 显着增加。与无考试期间相比，波兰学生在考试期间也表现出更多的压力、抑郁和焦虑症状（p = 0.000625），这不适用于说英语的学生。英语组学生在成熟防御机制部分的得分高于波兰学生（p = 0.000001）。使用成熟的防御机制与两组的压力、焦虑和抑郁症状的强度呈负相关，而不成熟的防御机制促进了这些变量的更高值 (p = 0.000001)。结论 我们的研究表明，在同一所大学就读的波兰语系和英语系的医学生之间存在显着的多向差异。这些结果可能表明，旨在减少医学生抑郁症状的策略应该适应特定人群的需求。使用成熟的防御机制与两组的压力、焦虑和抑郁症状的强度呈负相关，而不成熟的防御机制促进了这些变量的更高值 (p = 0.000001)。结论 我们的研究表明，在同一所大学就读的波兰语系和英语系的医学生之间存在显着的多向差异。这些结果可能表明，旨在减少医学生抑郁症状的策略应该适应特定人群的需求。使用成熟的防御机制与两组的压力、焦虑和抑郁症状的强度呈负相关，而不成熟的防御机制促进了这些变量的更高值 (p = 0.000001)。结论 我们的研究表明，在同一所大学就读的波兰语系和英语系的医学生之间存在显着的多向差异。这些结果可能表明，旨在减少医学生抑郁症状的策略应该适应特定人群的需求。结论 我们的研究表明，在同一所大学就读的波兰语系和英语系的医学生之间存在显着的多向差异。这些结果可能表明，旨在减少医学生抑郁症状的策略应该适应特定人群的需求。结论 我们的研究表明，在同一所大学就读的波兰语系和英语系的医学生之间存在显着的多向差异。这些结果可能表明，旨在减少医学生抑郁症状的策略应该适应特定人群的需求。