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Relationship between Spiritual Health and Psychological Distress among Medical Interns at Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences
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Mohammad Abdolmaleki1    , Mahdi Sarfarazian2 , Fayegh Yousefi3 , Bijan Nouri4 , Khodadad Asemi5 |
1- Assistant Professor, Spiritual Health Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran , mohamadtarikh86@yahoo.com
2- Medical Candidate, Student Research Committee, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
3- Professor, Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
4- Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
5- Assistant Professor, Spiritual Health Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran |
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Abstract: (173 Views) |
Background and Aim: Medical internship is accompanied by considerable educational and clinical pressures that may expose interns to psychological distress. Spiritual health may be associated with psychological adjustment during this period. This study investigated the relationship between spiritual health and psychological distress among medical interns at Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences.
Materials and Methods: This descriptive–analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2025 to March 2026 in teaching hospitals affiliated with Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences in Sanandaj, Iran. A total of 205 medical interns were included using census sampling. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Islamic Spiritual Health Questionnaire, and the 25-item Symptom Checklist (SCL-25). The Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient were used for data analysis.
Results: The mean psychological distress score was 72.25 ± 14.33, and the mean spiritual health score was 35.39 ± 14.73. Spiritual health was inversely correlated with psychological distress (r = −0.212, p = 0.002). Psychological distress scores differed according to marital status and grade point average. Spiritual health scores also differed according to sex, marital status, place of residence, and grade point average.
Conclusion: Higher spiritual health was associated with lower psychological distress among medical interns. Because of the cross-sectional design, the direction and causality of this association could not be determined. Spiritual health may be considered alongside other psychological and social factors when assessing the support needs of medical interns. |
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| Keywords: Medical Interns, Spiritual Health, Psychological Distress, Spirituality |
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Full-Text [PDF 848 kb]
(89 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Original Research |
Subject:
General Psychology
Received: 2026/05/10 | Accepted: 2026/08/22 | Published: 2026/09/26
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