Narratives on Barriers to Mental Health Care for Medical Students

Abstract

Objective: To explore the main barriers faced by medical students in seeking help and the use of addressing mental health services.

Materials and Methods: Qualitative study conducted through semi-structured interviews with medical students (N = 17). The data were analyzed and coded in accordance with Grounded Theory methodology; a central category was constructed, along with subcategories, their properties, and dimensions, using ATLAS.ti version 24 software.

Results: A total of 23 distinct barriers were identified and categorized into three main groups: nine related to health services (GR = 75), addressing issues of quality, organization, accessibility, and dissemination; another nine linked to perceptions and attitudes (GR = 66), reflecting how students conceptualize and interpret mental health in themselves; and those associated with stigma (GR = 29), which describe the internalized system of negative beliefs prevalent within the medical profession.

Conclusions: To address mental health among future physicians, it is essential to integrate socio-emotional education, promote a culture of empathy and support, and ensure accessible high-quality health services. This underscores the need for a comprehensive approach that transcends the biomedical model by incorporating sociocultural dimensions and fostering cross-cutting, collaborative interventions among students, institutions, and society to overcome barriers that hinder mental health care and well-being in medical training.

Keywords: Medical Students; Mental Health; Mental Health Assistance; Help-Seeking Behavior; Social Stigma.