[Mental health and performance of medical students with high and low test anxiety].

Unlabelled: About 10 % of students suffer from test anxiety to such an extent that treatment is warranted. The correlation of high test anxiety with other mental disorders and study success is rarely investigated.

Objective: Do students with high test anxiety differ from students with low test anxiety regarding mental health and success in their studies?

Methods: Out of 945 medical students of all semesters 115 test persons were selected which scored either very high or very low for test anxiety. They were subjected to a clinical interview and two personality tests (NEO-FFI, TAS-20). The analysed sample contained 109 men und women.

Results: Students with high test anxiety suffered in a much higher proportion from social anxieties. Also, specific isolated anxieties and other mental disorders appeared in this group more often. They had a higher score of neuroticism, lower scores of extraversion and conscientiousness and they consumed more medication. In the high test anxiety group were more long-term students than in the low test anxiety group. Only 7 % of the students with high test anxiety were in psychotherapeutic treatment. Study finances, family status, cultural and gender affiliation were without or of minor significance.

Conclusions: Students with high test anxiety are to a significant extent compromised in their performance and emotional wellbeing. They most likely would benefit from a low threshold psychotherapeutic outreach program offered by the university focusing among others their social anxieties.