Stress among Medical Students
Abstract
Various studies have documented stress among students of medicine and related professional careers like, dental, nursing, pharmacy and para-medical sciences. There are very high levels of both perceived and real stresses when compared to their compatriots in the non professional sectors. The milieu of tertiary education has always been regarded as a highly stressful environment and that too for medical students. The major stressors across the universities were academic- related issues. Among medical students, academic stressors include the volume of material to be learned, academic performance and evaluation, examinations which form a continuum throughout their course of study period of 5 years. Depression and anxiety states are not desirable events in a community. Academically less successful students reported somewhat higher levels of depressive and bodily responses. The potential negative effects of emotional distress on medical students include impairment of scholastic functioning in classroom environment and clinical situations when stress-induced disorders compromised their performances. Students in extreme stress or depression need serious attention, as the affected are unable to cope rationally with the enormous stress of education, which may lead to the vicious cycle of undesirable outcomes at both personal and professional levels. A system to identify the prevalence of stress in their curriculum and training should be established, maintained and updated to handle the relevant contributing factors and to control or subvert these no-desired outcomes. This knowledge can assist in instituting specific interventions for successful student management strategies in their stressful conditions.
According to Folkman and Lazarus, coping strategies can be grouped into two general types; problem-focused and emotion-focused. Problem- focused coping is aimed at problem solving or doing something to alter the source of stress. Emotion- focused coping is aimed at reducing or managing the emotional distress that is associated with the situation.
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