Effects of a "Brief Stress Management Training Program" from Medical Students’ Viewpoints: A Qualitative Study

Sepideh Herizchi,Fatemeh Ranjbar,Jaafar Sadegh Tabrizi

doi:10.15171/rdme.2015.032

Abstract

Introduction: Medical students undergo many stressors during various stages of medical education and must learn to cope with their new situation. Some studies have reported that stress management training methods have significant effects on decreasing stress in medical students. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a Stress Management Training Session from medical students’ viewpoints. Methods: This study design employed a qualitative phenomenological research method. Using a goal-directed sampling method, medical students in the psychiatry ward during 3 months, participated in a Stress Management Training Session. In this section, the nature of stress and some simple techniques for stress management were taught practically. After 1 month, participants cooperated in 3 focus group discussions. In the FGDs students explained their experiences in the stress management session and its effectiveness. After recording and writing discussions, subjects’ content was analyzed. Results: In total, 6 themes and 2:10 subthemes materialized from data analysis. In the students’ opinions, learning and using stress management techniques had good effects on their stress, sleep and headaches. Although some students didn’t notice to the efficacy on concentration, others believed stress management techniques were useful for learning and concentration. Conclusion: Based on the medical students’ opinions, learning and using stress management techniques had good effects on their stress, sleep and headaches and may improve concentration and learning quality.

Highlights

Medical students undergo many stressors during various stages of medical education and must learn to cope with their new situation
All FGDs were starting with an open-answer question, “What was your experience of stress management training session”? How did you evaluate efficacy of it? When participants did not clarify much about the effects of program, the researcher was asking about doing the stress management techniques and efficacy of them on copping daily stress, quality of learning and con centration or any other experiences
In students’ overall perception, stress management techniques were helpful for sleep quality and comfortably going sleep

Summary

Introduction

Medical students undergo many stressors during various stages of medical education and must learn to cope with their new situation. In the students’ opinions, learning and using stress management techniques had good effects on their stress, sleep and headaches. New personal and professional life styles, new responsibilities and educational curriculum, sleep deprivation, lack of facilities and social support are some stressors described for medical student.[1] In clinical stages, students experience relationships with patients and their pain and sadness may cause higher stress.[2] Medical education lasts several years. This is another source of stress for medical students.[3]

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Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion