Supporting students with mental health conditions

Who is this guidance for?

Medical schools

  1. This guidance is primarily aimed at medical schools, because they are responsible for coordinating support for their students with mental health conditions.
  2. The GMC's Promoting excellence: standards for medical education and training contains standards and requirements for undergraduate medical education, which medical schools must follow. It says that medical schools need to give appropriate support to students to make sure their health and wellbeing (standards and requirements S3.1, R3.2, R3.3, R3).
  3. This guidance gives advice to medical schools on how they can give the best possible support to their students who have mental health conditions. Some of the most common conditions that medical schools will encounter include:
    • depression
    • anxiety disorders
    • substance use disorder (including alcohol)
    • eating disorders.
  4. Some of the advice will apply equally to students with physical disabilities or other health conditions - medical schools should bear this in mind when considering this guidance. We know that medical schools have support services in place and this guidance is designed to work with and improve those services.
  5. Medical schools should also make sure that clinical supervisors follow the contents of this guidance and that all staff who spend a considerable amount of time with medical students are aware of what the medical school or university provides for students in terms of support.

Medical students

  1. This guidance is also for medical students. While the support they receive is always going to be specific to their own medical school, it is also useful for students to understand the national framework for all schools, so they know what support they can expect from their medical school.
  2. Medical schools should publish examples of the reasonable adjustments they are willing to make for students with mental health conditions. This will help students feel comfortable about asking their medical school to make reasonable adjustments for them.
  3. We know that students are often reluctant to ask for support when they are struggling, especially if their problems relate to a mental health condition. This can often be because they are worried that highlighting a mental health condition could put their career at risk (see the Myth busters section below, which is designed to address these fears).

People and organisations involved in postgraduate medical education and training

  1. This guidance is also aimed at those responsible for doctors in postgraduate medical education and training - such as training programme directors, and educational and clinical supervisors. They should understand the support systems that medical schools use, to better understand the environment their trainees come from.
  2. This guidance covers important issues about the transition from medical school to postgraduate training, including the voluntary transfer of information between medical schools and the UK Foundation Programme.

Myth busters

'If I have a mental health condition, it will damage my career prospects.'

Mental health conditions are common in the general population and commonly occur in doctors. Legally, employers can't discriminate against you if you have a mental health condition.

'Staff will treat me differently if they know I have a mental health condition.'

Most staff will not know that you have a mental health condition. Those who do have a duty to support you.

'If I tell my medical school that I have a mental health condition, I will automatically be referred to a fitness to practise committee.'

This should not be the case. If you engage with your medical school and ask for support and follow the advice given, then there will be no need for a fitness to practise committee to be involved.

'Once I'm a doctor, if I have a mental health condition, the GMC will automatically put me in their fitness to practise procedures.'

The GMC is only interested when a doctor's mental health condition puts patients at risk. The vast majority of doctors with mental health conditions are not a risk to patients. If a doctor understands their condition and seeks appropriate support, the GMC does not get involved. The GMC never removes doctors from the register solely because they have a mental health condition.

'Seeking help is seen as a sign of weakness.'

Seeking help is the strong thing to do. It is also the right thing to do. Your medical school has systems in place to support you and they want you to do well.

'Psychiatric treatments are usually ineffective.'

This is not true. Treatments for mental health conditions show high clinical effectiveness and compare favourably to treatments for common physical health conditions.

'If I see my GP, I will just be prescribed antidepressants.'

There is a wide range of effective treatments for mental health conditions, including talking therapies. Your GP should involve you in decisions about your care.

'Medical students, like doctors, must be perfect and indestructible - we should not need prescription medication for our mental health.'

At any one time, 15-25% of the general population experience mild-to-moderate mental health conditions. This includes doctors, many of whom will take medication for their conditions. This is perfectly normal and acceptable.

'I can never take time out from my studies.'

Medical students can and do take time out from their studies. If you are concerned, you should ask your medical school for advice.

'Mental health conditions are rare in medical students.'

This is not the case. In fact, research shows that medical students may have higher instances of mental health conditions compared to those in similar areas of study.

'Mental health conditions are personal and do not concern the medical school.'

Your medical school needs to know if you have a condition that may affect your performance. It will be able to support you and make adjustments to help you study.

'Once you have a mental health condition you can never fully recover.'

This is not true. There are many different types of mental health conditions and many people make a full recovery from them.

'There will be no benefit to me if I tell my medical school about my mental health condition.'

This is not true. Your medical school will be able to put in place processes to support you with the course and will be able to put you in contact with services that can help you.

'The GMC will refuse to grant me provisional registration if I have a mental health condition.'

This is not true. The GMC only refuses registration if it believes your condition would put patients at risk. Where an applicant understands their condition and asks for appropriate help and support, the GMC will grant registration.