Mental health and self-care strategies in medical students

Abstract

Academic stress among medical students is a growing concern that affects their mental and emotional well-being. The heavy workload, performance pressure, and lack of coping strategies may contribute to the development of anxiety, depression, and burnout. In this context, self-care has been identified as a key tool to mitigate these negative effects. This study aims to describe mental health and self-care strategies in medical students, exploring practices such as mindfulness, physical activity, and resilience development. A narrative literature review was conducted, including original studies in English and Spanish published between 2000 and 2025, with priority given to those published from 2020 to 2025. The search was performed in databases of PubMed, Scopus, and PsycINFO. The findings indicate that implementing self-care strategies may reduce stress, improve sleep quality, and prevent mental health disorders. These results highlight the importance of integrating evidence-based self-care programs into medical school curricula, promoting a preventive approach that enhances the well-being of future healthcare professionals