Understanding Resilience, Psychological Well-...

Understanding Resilience, Psychological Well-being, and Distress Among Namibian Medical and Dental Students

Author Name : Nicolene Truter, Manfred Janik

ABSTRACT The mental health of medical and dental students is frequently challenged by the demands of their academic training. While the rise of positive psychology has shifted some research focus toward protective factors such as resilience and well-being, these constructs remain understudied among health sciences students in Namibia. This study aimed to examine levels of resilience, psychological well-being, and non-specific psychological distress, and to explore the relationships among these variables. A cross-sectional design was used with 225 students (137 female; 88 male) from the University of Namibia, comprising 183 medical and 42 dental students. Standardized self-report instruments included the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), and the 18-item Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWS-18). Analyses were conducted using JASP. Descriptive results showed that male and dental students reported higher resilience and well-being, and lower distress compared to their female and medical counterparts. Clinical-phase medical students and pre-clinical dental students exhibited the most favorable psychological profiles. Pearson’s correlations indicated that resilience was negatively correlated with distress, and positively with psychological well-being. Regression analysis revealed that both resilience (β = –.23, p = .001) and psychological well-being (β = –.50, p < .001) were significant predictors of distress, with the model explaining 37% of the variance in distress levels (F(2, 222) = 65.84, p < .001). These findings highlight the protective role of well-being and resilience in managing psychological distress among Namibian health sciences students and call for targeted support and preventative interventions within training programs