MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF HEALTHCARE STUDENTS: THE BIDIRECTIONAL IMPACT ON PHYSICAL HEALTH AND DAILY LIFE

Abstract

Healthcare students, particularly in physiotherapy, experience disproportionately high rates of depression, anxiety, and stress due to academic workloads, clinical placements, and exposure to suffering. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared this a global health workforce crisis, with one in three doctors and one in four nurses reporting mental distress and up to 34% considering leaving the profession. Critically, poor mental health does not remain psychological—it triggers measurable physiological harm. Chronic stress leads to cardiovascular dysregulation, immune suppression, musculoskeletal pain (neck, back, shoulder), sleep disruption, and gastrointestinal disorders. These physical consequences, in turn, worsen mental well-being, creating a bidirectional vicious cycle that impairs academic performance, clinical competence, and daily functioning. The WHO provides actionable frameworks, including pre-service mental health competencies and workplace guidelines. Physiotherapy educators must integrate mental health literacy, resilience training, and self-care strategies into curricula. Investing in student mental health is essential for producing resilient clinicians and sustaining safe, effective healthcare systems.