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Association Between Perceived Medical School Diversity Climate and Change in Depressive Symptoms Among Medical Students: A Report from the Medical Student CHANGE Study

2016; Elsevier BV; Volume: 108; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.jnma.2016.08.005

1943-4693

Rachel R. Hardeman, Julia Przedworski, Sara E. Burke, Diana J. Burgess, Sylvia Perry, Sean M. Phelan, John F. Dovidio, Michelle van Ryn,

Diversity and Career in Medicine

To determine whether perceptions of the medical school diversity climate are associated with depression symptoms among medical students. Longitudinal web-based survey conducted in the fall of 2010 and spring of 2014 administered to a national sample of medical students enrolled in 49 schools across the U.S. (n = 3756). Negative diversity climate measured by perceptions of the institution's racial climate; exposure to negative role modeling by medical educators; frequency of witnessing discrimination in medical school. Depression symptoms measured by the PROMIS Emotional Distress–Depression Short-Form. 64% of students reported a negative racial climate; 81% reported witnessing discrimination toward other students at least once, and 94% reported witnessing negative role modeling. Negative racial climate, witnessed discrimination, and negative role modeling were independently and significantly associated with an increase in depression symptoms between baseline and follow-up. Adjusting for students' personal experiences of mistreatment, associations between depressive symptoms and negative racial climate and negative role modeling, remained significant (.72 [.51–.93]; .33 [.12–.54], respectively). Among medical students, greater exposure to a negative medical school diversity climate was associated with an increase in self-reported depressive symptoms.