The Impact of a Student Guided Wellness Curriculum on Physician Assistant Student Mental Health
Faculty Advisor Name
Whitney Simmons
Department
Department of Health Professions
Description
Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between Virginia Physician Assistant (PA) Programs that have established wellness curriculums, and the student’s mental health scale scores. Mental health and anxiety were measured using the GAD-7, PHQ-2, PMSS, and the Brief COPE scoring tools.
Methods: The survey was collected in November 2024 with seventy-nine students from five Virginia PA schools who had completed at least two semesters of their didactic curriculum. The surveys included questions from the GAD-7, PHQ-2, PMSS, and Brief COPE. Statistical analyses were performed using nonparametric methods. Differences between students were considered statistically significant at P< 0.05.
Results: No significant differences were observed in mental health scores between students at schools with formal wellness curriculums and students at schools without formal wellness curriculums.
Discussion: The lack of significant difference in mental health scores among students throughout the state suggests that the use of objective scoring tools such as the clinically used GAD-7, PHQ-9, PMSS, and Brief COPE may not accurately reflect the impact and goals of wellness curriculums. The goal of the wellness curriculums in PA programs is to ensure students feel cared for and supported. The PHQ-9 and GAD-7 objectively measure anxiety and depression, and these are utilized by practitioners to track the need for medication and therapy. The PMSS and Brief COPE surveys are more subjective than objective, and therefore, the data collected and interpreted through these clinical tools does not entirely represent or measure the specific goals set by these wellness programs. Additionally, the results of these tests show that the average PA student in Virginia had anxiety levels that were on the higher end of the “mild” parameters. Overall depression scores of these students were low. This suggests that regardless of the presence of a wellness curriculum, most students in PA programs are mildly anxious.
The Impact of a Student Guided Wellness Curriculum on Physician Assistant Student Mental Health
Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between Virginia Physician Assistant (PA) Programs that have established wellness curriculums, and the student’s mental health scale scores. Mental health and anxiety were measured using the GAD-7, PHQ-2, PMSS, and the Brief COPE scoring tools.
Methods: The survey was collected in November 2024 with seventy-nine students from five Virginia PA schools who had completed at least two semesters of their didactic curriculum. The surveys included questions from the GAD-7, PHQ-2, PMSS, and Brief COPE. Statistical analyses were performed using nonparametric methods. Differences between students were considered statistically significant at P< 0.05.
Results: No significant differences were observed in mental health scores between students at schools with formal wellness curriculums and students at schools without formal wellness curriculums.
Discussion: The lack of significant difference in mental health scores among students throughout the state suggests that the use of objective scoring tools such as the clinically used GAD-7, PHQ-9, PMSS, and Brief COPE may not accurately reflect the impact and goals of wellness curriculums. The goal of the wellness curriculums in PA programs is to ensure students feel cared for and supported. The PHQ-9 and GAD-7 objectively measure anxiety and depression, and these are utilized by practitioners to track the need for medication and therapy. The PMSS and Brief COPE surveys are more subjective than objective, and therefore, the data collected and interpreted through these clinical tools does not entirely represent or measure the specific goals set by these wellness programs. Additionally, the results of these tests show that the average PA student in Virginia had anxiety levels that were on the higher end of the “mild” parameters. Overall depression scores of these students were low. This suggests that regardless of the presence of a wellness curriculum, most students in PA programs are mildly anxious.
