Perceived Stress among Medical Students during COVID-19 Pandemic and its Impact on Sleep and Studies - A Cross-sectional Study in South India

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the mental health of medical students due to the lockdown of colleges and educational institutions that had imposed a feeling of uncertainty and insecurity in students. Objectives: The present study aims todetermine the prevalence of stress among medical undergraduate students and its association with sleep and studies during the COVID-19 pandemic.Method:Perceived stress and sleep quality during COVID-19 pandemic was assessed among 446 undergraduate medical students using Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) tools. An online questionnaire containing questions retrieved from PSS and PSQI tools was prepared in Google Forms and was shared by e-mail to the students. The students were classified into three categories based on PSS total scores and compared for differences in sleep quality and learning difficulties.Results: The mean score of PSS was 13.38 ± 6.87. 252 (56.5%) had low perceived stress, 146 (32.7%) had moderate and 48 (10.8%) had high perceived stress. First year and final year medical students perceived more stress when compared with others. Among the 446 study participants, 34 (7.6%) reported poor sleep quality and it was significantly associated with the presence of stress (pvalue<0.001). 215 (48.2%) students had difficulty in concentrating on their studies. Conclusion:The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in perceived stress among medical undergraduate students of which most of them had moderate perceived stress which warrants immediate action.