The impact of night shift work of medical students on their psychoemotional state and autonomic nervous system

Gorban V.V., Manto V.S., Kornienko A.S., Andreychenko A.E., Namitokova R.Z.

Kuban State Medical University, Krasnodar, Russia

Background: Emotional and physical stress in medical students combining university studies with night shift work as nursing staff is accompanied by stress-related changes in the autonomic nervous system, which require early detection and preventive intervention.
Objective: Evaluation of heart rate variability (HRV) and the psychoemotional state of medical students working night shifts to identify early indicators of autonomic imbalance as targets for preventive interventions.
Materials and methods: A short-range HRV study and survey using questionnaires were conducted in 77 students aged 18 to 28 years.
Results: High rates of psychoemotional exhaustion (42.9%), decreased personal achievement (57.1%), and signs of depersonalization (44.2%) were identified. According to HRV data, increased sympathetic tone (SDNN, LF/HF, HI) directly correlated with stress and physical activity levels (SDANN and LF/HF) and inversely correlated with adaptive potential (SDNN, TI, RMSSD, pNN(50)%), while a decrease in overall HRV (LF/HF and HI) was associated with stress levels.
Conclusion: Medical students working night shifts exhibited a high rate of psychoemotional disorders, as well as sympathetic activation with decreased adaptive potential and overall HRV, caused by stress and physical activity. Outpatient HRV studies at short intervals are recommended for the early detection of autonomic imbalance caused by emotional, psychological, or physical stress in young people.

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About the Authors

Vitaly V. Gorban, Dr. Sci. (Med.), Head of the Department of Outpatient Therapy with a Course in General Medical Practice (Family Medicine), Kuban State Medical University, Krasnodar, Russia; gorbanvv@mail.ru, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8665-6796 (corresponding author)
V.S. Manto, Teaching Assistant, Department of Outpatient Therapy with the Course of General Medical Practice (Family Medicine), Kuban State Medical University, Krasnodar, Russia; lera.menshikh@mail.ru, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5601-6034
A.S. Kornienko, Kuban State Medical University, Krasnodar; angelina141a@mail.ru, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-1064-6916
A.E. Andreychenko, Kuban State Medical University, Krasnodar, Russia; andreichenkoarina22022002@gmail.com, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-9231-726X
R.Z. Namitokova, Kuban State Medical University, Krasnodar, Russia; radmilanamitokova@mail.ru, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9586-5882

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