Psychological Distress and the “Medical Student Syndrome” in Abnormal Psychology Students

Abstract

We investigated psychological distress and the “medical student syndrome” in a group of undergraduate Abnormal Psychology students. Students planning to major in psychology reported more worry about their psychological health than those planning to major in some other field. Also, students who reported a history of psychological treatment were more likely to intend to pursue an advanced degree in counseling or psychotherapy. Although the process of learning about various psychological disorders decreased students' anxiety about their own mental health, it increased their anxiety about the mental health of family members. After completing course work in abnormal psychology, students were more willing to seek help from campus mental health services for personal psychological distress.