A Systematic Review of Psychosocial Interventions for Enhancing Resilience in Medical Sciences Students
Source: PubMed Central Open Access, NCBI / U.S. National Library of Medicine
Background and Aims Undergraduate medical sciences students experience substantial psychological distress due to demanding academic workloads and early clinical exposure, increasing their vulnerability to anxiety, depression, and burnout. This systematic review evaluates randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining psychosocial interventions—including mindfulness-based programs, cognitive-behavioral strategies, acceptance-based therapies, and structured stress-management training—designed to enhance resilience among undergraduate medical sciences students. s2001 Methods A comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, ProQuest, Google Scholar, and Semantic Scholar identified studies published between January 2000 and April 2025. s2002 Results 11 RCTs met inclusion criteria. Data extraction included participant characteristics, intervention type and duration, delivery format, and outcome measures. Methodological quality was assessed using the PEDro scale, and risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool. s2003 Conclusion Across the included trials, psychosocial interventions demonstrated consistent positive effects on resilience, perceived stress, coping flexibility, and psychological well-being. Mindfulness-based programs—ranging from brief sessions to full 8-week MBSR courses—generally reduced distress, though shorter or peer-led formats produced mixed results. Cognitive-behavioral and stress-management interventions improved coping skills, emotiona
Abstract
Background and Aims Undergraduate medical sciences students experience substantial psychological distress due to demanding academic workloads and early clinical exposure, increasing their vulnerability to anxiety, depression, and burnout. This systematic review evaluates randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining psychosocial interventions—including mindfulness-based programs, cognitive-behavioral strategies, acceptance-based therapies, and structured stress-management training—designed to enhance resilience among undergraduate medical sciences students. s2001 Methods A comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, ProQuest, Google Scholar, and Semantic Scholar identified studies published between January 2000 and April 2025. s2002 Results 11 RCTs met inclusion criteria. Data extraction included participant characteristics, intervention type and duration, delivery format, and outcome measures. Methodological quality was assessed using the PEDro scale, and risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool. s2003 Conclusion Across the included trials, psychosocial interventions demonstrated consistent positive effects on resilience, perceived stress, coping flexibility, and psychological well-being. Mindfulness-based programs—ranging from brief sessions to full 8-week MBSR courses—generally reduced distress, though shorter or peer-led formats produced mixed results. Cognitive-behavioral and stress-management interventions improved coping skills, emotional regulation, and self-efficacy. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy enhanced psychological flexibility, and structured resilience curricula such as the Penn Resilience Program yielded significant gains in resilience scores. Variability in intervention design, duration, and measurement tools limited comparability across studies. Overall, psychosocial interventions appear effective in enhancing resilience among undergraduate medical sciences students. Integrating structured, theory-based approaches into medical education may strengthen students’ psychological health and academic functioning. Future research should prioritize standardized protocols, culturally sensitive adaptations, and long-term follow-up. s2004