Health in medical students: a worrying reality decades after the pioneering work of prof. Galdino Loreto

Abstract

The prevalence of anxiety disorders, depression and burnout syndrome in medical students is globally high. This issue should be seen not only as an educational matter, but also as a public health concern, as it will influence the physician-patient relationship and the quality of the care delivered by future physicians. Therefore, efforts to manage stressors during medical graduation have been undertaken. In Brazil, the service coordinated by Prof. Galdino Loreto at Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE) was among the first with this scope in Brazilian territory. Six decades after the beginning of the pioneering work of Prof. Galdino Loreto, a 5-fold increase was observed in the number of medical students seeking help, and a 3-fold increase in the number of students who received help at the same public university. While it is difficult to list all the factors involved in this increase, attention should be drawn to this finding so that effective initiatives can be promoted to help future doctors. In this article, after considerations about the mental health of medical students and a historical review of initiatives aimed at providing psychiatric and psychological care forthis population, we discuss the pioneering work of Prof. Galdino Loreto and describe the current initiative of the Galdino Loreto community outreach program, both at UFPE. We make comparisons about the number of consultations with medical students performed at these historical moments. It is important that psychiatry actively participates in this process.