Psychological well-being in medical students during exam stress-influence of short-term practice of mind sound technology.
BACKGROUND
Medical education is perceived as stressful. As excessive stress hampers students' performance, stress management is required for medical students. This study was aimed to assess the effect of Mind Sound Technology (MST), an intelligence enhancing program, on psychological well-being of medical undergraduates during exam stress.


METHODS
Forty-two medical students were recruited and Dukes Health Profile scoring was done at baseline and during Exam Stress (ES). After pre-intervention measurements, the students were randomized into two groups: non-practitioners and MST practitioners. Post-intervention measurement was done at the end of 6 weeks when the students had examination.


RESULTS
Students showed a significant increase (P < 0.001) in negative health scores like perceived health scores, anxiety, and depression and a significant decrease (P < 0.001) in positive health scores like Self-Esteem, Mental Health Score, Social Health Score, and General Health Score during exam when compared with baseline. MST practice increased positive health scores (P < 0.001) and decreased perceived health score (P < 0.01), anxiety, depression, and anxiety-depression scores significantly (P < 0.001) when compared with ES score. Non practitioners did not show any significant change in any of the scores when compared with ES score. Six weeks of MST practice by medical students have improved the academic scores (P < 0.05) when compared with their non-practitioner counterpart.


CONCLUSIONS
Thus, practice of MST has helped in coping up the stress that occurs during examination and improved academic performance in medical undergraduates.
Department of Medical Research, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Kattankulathur-603203, India. dhpsrm@yahoo.in
Haripriya
H
Dayalan
Swapna
S
Subramanian
Tamilselvi
T
Elango
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D032763:Behavior Control / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D018961:Educational Technology / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health / Q000145:classification; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011588:Psychology, Educational / Q000379:methods; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D013664:Teaching Materials; D058013:Test Taking Skills / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult