Family violence among female medical students: Its prevalence and impact on their mental health status – A cross-sectional study

ObjectivesViolence against women is recognized worldwide as a major public health problem. Studies show that violence affects the mental well-being of the victims. The study explores the prevalence of family violence among Saudi female medical students and its relationship with students' mental well-being and seeks to identify the effect of violence on students' academic achievements.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study on 1st- to 5th-year Saudi female medical students, utilizing a validated violence screening questionnaire that asked the respondents about how often they were physically Hurt, Insulted, Threatened with harm, and Screamed at (HITS). Furthermore, the study administered a validated mental well-being questionnaire, the Mental Health Inventory 5 (MHI-5), for the assessment of the mental status of the respondents. The analyses included simple univariate analyses, bivariate analyses and linear regression modelling.ResultsOf the total of 460 Saudi female medical students, 363 (79%) students participated in this study. Nineteen (5.3%) students confirmed being the victims of family violence. The victims had a mean MHI-5 score of 52%. A negative correlation was observed between violence and mental well-being scores. Significant association between the MHI-5 score and academic achievement was observed.ConclusionThe prevalence of family violence in this study is less than the reported figures in other studies. We could not demonstrate a direct relationship between family violence and academic achievement. Students' academic achievement was indirectly associated with the presence of family violence through changes in mental well-being.