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. 2023 Feb 13:1-18.
doi: 10.1007/s11469-023-01018-w. Online ahead of print.

Comparing the Mental Health of Healthcare Students: Mental Health Shame and Self-compassion in Counselling, Occupational Therapy, Nursing and Social Work Students

Yasuhiro Kotera  1 , Jessica E Jackson  2 , Ann Kirkman  2 , Ann-Marie Edwards  2 , Rory Colman  2 , Ann Underhill  2 , Jessica G Jackson  2 , Denise Baker  2 , Akihiko Ozaki  3   4
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Comparing the Mental Health of Healthcare Students: Mental Health Shame and Self-compassion in Counselling, Occupational Therapy, Nursing and Social Work Students

Yasuhiro Kotera et al. Int J Ment Health Addict. .

Abstract

Poor mental health of healthcare students is a cause for concern in many universities. Though previous research has identified mental health shame and self-compassion as critical in this student group, how these variables differ across different healthcare disciplines remains to be evaluated. Healthcare students (n = 344; counselling, occupational therapy, social work and nursing) completed measures regarding these variables. MANOVA and regression analyses were performed. (1) Counselling and nursing students were more depressed than occupational therapy students; (2) nursing students were more anxious than occupational therapy and social work students; (3) occupational therapy students had more positive attitudes towards mental health than the others; and (4) nursing students worried about their own reputation associated with their family more than counselling students. Self-compassion was the strongest predictor of mental health in all groups; however, the effect sizes varied: largest in nursing and smallest in social work students. Findings will help inform effective interventions for students in each healthcare discipline.

Keywords: Attitudes towards mental health problems; Healthcare students; Mental health; Mental health shame; Self-compassion.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of InterestThe authors declare no competing interests.

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