Medical Student Syndrome and Self-Medication among Medical Students at Zagazig University, Egypt | ||
| The Egyptian Journal of Community Medicine | ||
| Volume 43, Issue 4, October 2025, Pages 265-274 PDF (1.2 M) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejcm.2025.375278.1386 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Aya M Abdelhamid* 1; Azza Soliman Soliman2; Aya M Fathi2; Amany IA Soliman1 | ||
| 1Family medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt | ||
| 2Public Health and Environmental Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Background: Medical student syndrome (MSS), which is the idea held by students that they might have the illness being studied, and self-medication are closely related concepts often affecting medical students as they become more familiar with diseases and medications. Objectives: To determine the prevalence and risk factors of medical student syndrome and to identify the prevalence of self-medication practices among students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2024 and March 2025 at Zagazig University. It targeted medical students during their last three academic years. A structured questionnaire was used. It was composed of three sections: sociodemographic data, medical student syndrome and self-medication practices. Results: A total of 334 students were included. The mean age was 22.4 ±2.2 years and 57.8% were females. MSS affected 78% of the students. Among those who experienced MSS, only 9.6% found the symptoms severe enough to consult a doctor, whereas 74.7% chose to ignore them. Additionally, 30.7% reported using medication without medical consultation to manage these symptoms. The primary risk factors associated with MSS among students included gender and the use of psychiatric sleep medications. Regarding self-medication, 97.9% of students reported practicing it within the past six months. The main causes cited for self-medication were saving time (50%) and managing non-acute conditions (61.7%). Conclusion: The study findings showed that MSS and self-medication are prevalent among medical students at Zagazig University, Egypt. The findings underscore the need for intervention programs focusing on awareness of the problem along with psychological support. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Medical student; self-treatment; cross sectional | ||
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