Despite the existence of the Dr. Catalina Law in Colombia, the mental health of medical residents is in a severe crisis, particularly due to long work hours—up to 66 hours a week—including night shifts, weekend work, and work on holidays. This dynamic significantly disrupts students’ daily routines.
This situation has led to 60% of these professionals exhibiting symptoms of anxiety or depression, according to the study “Cardiometabolic Factors, Eating Patterns, and Sleep Associated with Mental Health Problems in Medical Residents of the UIS Medicine Program.”
“For several years now, the issue of medical education has been under scrutiny, particularly the excessive workload in medical schools during the training of professionals, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. This has led to regrettable cases in the sector. While this occurs across all disciplines, it has been studied more extensively in medicine, leading other countries to reform their curricula. We are in that process as well,” states UIS professor Lina María Vera Cala.
Furthermore, she warns that, due to the workload, long work and academic hours, coupled with little time for personal life, mental health problems have arisen and risk factors for chronic diseases have developed.
With the aim of finding solutions, professors and researchers from the Industrial University of Santander—Lady Rodríguez Burbano, Lina María Vera Cala, Jorge Andrés Niño García, Javier Mauricio Duque Rodríguez, and Juan Diego Lozano Sastoque—carried out the aforementioned project.
Changes in Risks
The main motivation for the study stems from a growing concern in the field of medical education: the excessive workload during professional training and its potential effects on mental health. In recent years, various cases of suicide among healthcare professionals and residents have raised alarms across the country, prompting curricular reforms and debates about medical training conditions.
The study aims to determine the prevalence and changes in cardiometabolic risk factors, eating and sleeping patterns, and their association with mental health problems among medical residents.
According to the research, medical interns have little free time, as they must cover night shifts, weekends, and even holidays, leading to insufficient sleep, an unbalanced diet, and a more sedentary lifestyle.
“During residency, the workload is so high that students end up eating poorly, sleeping poorly, and having no time for physical activity. Many rely on fast food or whatever they can find at the hospital and have difficulty maintaining an adequate sleep cycle,” explains the professor
From a scientific perspective, Academic Stress (AS) is defined as a systemic imbalance that occurs when the demands of the university environment overwhelm a student’s coping strategies. Based on González de Rivera’s (1980) “general law of stress,” we understand this process as a set of fundamental changes in the body’s response to harmful stimuli, whether real or imagined.
Through the lens of psychoneuroendocrineimmunology, the impact of the internship becomes visible at the cellular level. Stress chronically activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, triggering cortisol production. This hormonal response acts as a potent immunosuppressant that weakens the body’s “first line of defense”: T lymphocytes, natural killer (NK) cells, and key cytokines such as IL-2, interferon (IFN), and IL-22. By compromising these biological sentinels, the body loses its ability to fight infections and control inflammatory processes, opening the door to metabolic diseases.
Although the project is still in the final data collection phase—due to logistical difficulties stemming from students’ schedules—preliminary results already reveal concerning signs. In a population with an average age of 23, 14% exhibit cardiometabolic risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, or dyslipidemia.
One of the study’s most significant findings relates to mental health. The researchers found that 37% of students reported a personal history of mental health issues, while 23% had a confirmed diagnosis. In addition, 31% had a family history of mental health disorders, which could increase their vulnerability in highly demanding academic and work environments.
Furthermore, it was found that nearly 78% have a family history of cardiovascular disease or diabetes, which increases the likelihood of developing these conditions in the future.
Alarm bells are ringing regarding health habits and history; the research shows that 77% reported alcohol consumption in the past three months, 10% have a history of smoking, 20% have used e-cigarettes at some point, and 23% report a history of psychoactive substance use.
These figures exceed those reported for the general population in national mental health surveys, reinforcing concerns about the conditions under which healthcare professionals are trained.
The study also debunks some stereotypes regarding the socioeconomic profile of medical students. Nearly 45% of participants belong to socioeconomic strata one through three, and 14% lack financial support, adding additional economic pressure to an already demanding routine.
“It has always been believed that medicine is a field dominated by higher socioeconomic classes, but the data reveal a different reality,” notes Professor Vera Cala, who emphasizes that these social factors also affect mental health and academic performance.
The research reveals a high prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors and mental health issues in this population, which is around 23 years old.
The findings aim to inform institutional mental health policy and support decision-making at a critical juncture, marked by the recent curriculum reform of the medical program. Collaboration with the Mental Health Policy Committee will enable the design and implementation of specific interventions for high-risk groups.
In the long term, the researchers hope to expand this type of study to the rest of the university community, as they believe that mental health issues and stress are not exclusive to the medical program but rather reflect a broader academic context that requires comprehensive, multifactorial analysis.
This research proposal aims to generate evidence regarding changes in cardiometabolic risk factors and the presence of mental health issues faced by medical students during their rotating internship year.
Its findings are of great importance for designing and implementing interventions to prevent or mitigate mental health issues among medical students.
The project is being funded by the “For Our Well-being” research call, which is part of the research strengthening plan of the Office of the Vice-Rector for Research and Extension (VIE).
The study “Cardiometabolic Factors, Eating Patterns, and Sleep Associated with Mental Health Problems in Intern Students in the UIS Medical Program” won second place in the research project category from the Colombian Association of Psychiatry.
A Multifactorial Problem
For the researchers, mental health issues among students cannot be explained solely from a generational perspective, as is often suggested in some academic settings.
“To say that this is a ‘crystal generation’ oversimplifies the problem. In epidemiology, we know that health phenomena are multifactorial. Academic, institutional, social, and personal factors all play a role,” they note.
In this regard, the study invites a comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon, taking into account educational conditions, institutional dynamics, and the social changes that have impacted university life in recent years.
Through this research, the team aims to provide evidence that will help strengthen institutional strategies for well-being and mental health, with the goal of designing targeted interventions for students at higher risk.
Furthermore, they believe that this type of analysis should be expanded to other university programs, as high stress levels and emotional difficulties are not unique to medical education.
