Assessment of mental, social, and family health status among medical assistants at Kashan University of Medical Sciences

Unfavorable psychological and social conditions in medical groups, including medical assistants, can have widespread consequences for individual health, social well-being, and the quality of healthcare services. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the mental, social, and family health status of medical assistants.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted during the 2022-2023 academic year on medical assistants at Kashan University of Medical Sciences. Demographic information of participants was collected, and to assess mental, social, and family health, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), Keyes Social Well-Being Questionnaire (KSWBQ), and Family of Origin Scale (FOS) were utilized, respectively.

A total of 72 medical assistants participated in this study, of whom 58.3% were female and the rest were male. The majority of participants (44.4%) were in the age range of 30 to 35 years, with most of them (30.6%) in their second year of assistantship. The results showed that 54.2% of the assistants had moderate mental health, 95.8% had moderate social health, and 76.4% had high family health. In terms of mental health dimensions, anxiety and sleep disturbances had the highest mean score (9.15 ± 5.34). Regarding social health, social acceptance (15.89 ± 1.93) and social participation (13.17 ± 2.93) had the highest mean scores. No significant differences were observed in mental, social, and family health scores based on gender, age, or field of study (P>0.05), however the family intimacy dimension significantly decreased with increasing years of study (P<0.05).

The findings revealed that medical assistants' mental and social health levels were moderate, while their family health status was high. Given the high prevalence of anxiety and sleep disturbances in this group, it is essential to develop practical strategies to reduce anxiety and improve sleep quality. Additionally, planning for the training of social skills and increasing social participation among medical assistants, which can ultimately enhance the general health of the community, is critical.