PECULIARITIES OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE OF MEDICAL STUDENTS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT UNIVERSITY CADETS

Georgian Med News. 2026 Jan;(370):228-233.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: One of the factors of successful study in a higher educational institution is the psycho-emotional state of a student, including medical students. The military events taking place in Ukraine since 2022 have not only economic, humanitarian and technogenic consequences, they also affect the physical and mental health, well-being of each person, especially in the territories bordering the conflict. In connection with the above, we decided to set the goal of our study to determine the comparison of the development of the psychological state of medical students and cadets of a law enforcement university in conditions of active military aggression.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included medical students and law enforcement university cadets from Kharkiv and Odessa which have constant attacks from February, 2022. All students were divided into two groups depending on educational profile. All students were referred by team of psychologists; such methodology was used as clinical and anamnestic method; to assess the presence of depression in students, the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and GAD-7 scale for generalized anxiety disorder.

RESULTS: The period of dramatic events of the military conflict in Ukraine is determined by the deterioration of the psychological state of medical students and law enforcement university cadets. When determining the level of depression, no significant difference is determined between the number of students relative to each level according to the MADRS scale for students and cadets, but the average MADRS score of medical students is significantly higher (9.72±1.40) than the average score of cadets (5.07±1.14), p<0.05. Most cadets (50.86%) had a minimal level of anxiety according to the GAD-7 test, while only 40.00% of medical students had such a level. A high level of anxiety was determined in 8.33% of medical students and 3.43% of cadets (p<0.05). There is significant amount of students with moderate-high level of anxiety (60.00% for medical students and 49.14% for law enforcement cadets), p<0.05. Also, the mean score of the GAD-7 scale was significantly lower in enforcement cadets (5.29±0.69) than in medical students (7.02±0.73), p<0.05.

CONCLUSIONS: There is close correlation between indicators of depression and anxiety (r=0.71 for medical students and r=0.54 for law enforcement cadets) that was estimated after in both groups. Involving students and cadets in physical, social or scientific activities for more than 5 hours per week has a positive effect and is characterized by a feedback loop for both the level of depression and the level of anxiety. The organization of psychological support for students in crisis situations, ensuring the provision of medical and psychological assistance, and the dissemination of information should be taken into account in the organizational algorithm in the event of possible further occurrence of humanitarian, environmental, or technogenic crises.

PMID:41804156