The Psychological Health of the Pre-Clinical Medical Student
C. J. LUCAS M.B., B.S., M.R.C.P, D.P.M.1,
R. P. KELVIN Ph.D.2, and
A. B. OJHA B.A.3
1 Director, Student Health Association, University College, Gower Street, London, W.C.1
2 Lecturer, Psychology Department, University College, Gower Street, London, W.C.1
3 Research Psychologist, Student Health Association, University College, Gower Street, London, W.C.1
A longitudinal survey of the 1960 intake of medical students to University College, London, is reported, the main aims of which were to investigate social, personality and intellectual factors associated with the occurrences of psychological symptoms. One-third of the students reported such symptoms. These students had a poorer health record at school, and a rather less than adequate record of school attainment in non-academic activities, but were otherwise no different in their social characteristics. Nor did they differ in terms of intelligence scores or in terms of personality assessed by the M.P.I. from students who did not report such symptoms. Students with psychological symptoms did as well academically as the rest.
Submitted on June 9, 1964
