Qualitative Analysis of Mental Health Stressors Among Pharmacy and Medical Students Between 2009 and 2020.

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to identify and compare stressors between pharmacy and medical students that may lead to poor mental health outcomes and decreased quality of professional medical care.

Methods: We used an inductive reflexive thematic analysis to interpret free-text responses from a stress and depression survey administered to pharmacy and medical students between 2009 and 2020 at a single public university. The inductive process involved several steps, including data familiarization, coding, and theme development. Two of the authors independently coded the data and presented their findings to the research team. After reaching a consensus, the data were recoded according to the new interpretation. Theme generation involved grouping codes into overarching ideas that provided a narrative.

Results: Five major themes emerged among both cohorts: constant overwhelming pressure, stressors of an interpersonal relationship, internal battle with oneself, financial burden, and postgraduation anxiety and uncertainty. Constant overwhelming pressure, stresses of an interpersonal relationship, and internal battle with oneself were the 3 most frequent themes identified. One notable stressor observed only among pharmacy students was having an internship during their training years.

Conclusion: Addressing the well-being of pharmacy and medical students early in training is crucial. Despite the different pharmacy and medical school curricula, it was evident that both cohorts faced similar stressors. This study identified specific stressors among pharmacy and medical students that can help health professional programs develop initiatives to support student well-being.