Evaluation of Health-Related Quality of Life and Mental Health in 729 Medical Students in Indonesia During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and mental health worldwide. However, its impact on medical students in Indonesia has not been well docu-mented. This study aimed to evaluate HRQoL and mental health in 729 Indonesian medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic.Material/Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study from 31 August to 30 September 2021. The study instrument was an on -line questionnaire that was distributed via social media platforms. The 12-item short form version 2 (SF12v2) was used to measure HRQoL, and the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used to measure mental health.Results: From 729 Indonesian medical students included in the analyses, 37.3% had impaired physical component and 66.9% had impaired mental component of HRQoL. The determinants were medical students' island of resi-dence, history of hospitalization, and family member's hospitalization and death due to COVID-19. Concerning mental health, the prevalence of reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress were 45.4%, 65.2%, and 60.9%, respectively. Sex, study method, grade, previous COVID-19 disease severity, comorbidities, previ-ous learning experience, and history of family isolation were identified as the determinants of mental health.Conclusions: This study highlights the adverse effects of COVID-19 on HRQoL and mental health in Indonesian medical stu-dents. The results identified key associations, including SARS-CoV-2 infection and comorbidities experienced by the students, the health of their families, including grief following bereavement, and the effects of social isolation during the pandemic.