Abstract
The primary purpose of this study was to examine perceived stress in doctor of pharmacy students during their first, second, and third years of their program in a fully implemented new curriculum. The secondary objectives were to determine if there is a relationship between perceived stress and certain demographic variables, to compare student pharmacist perceived stress to the perceived stress in the general population, and to examine student reported stressors during pharmacy school and coping strategies employed for those stressors. A previously validated survey (Perceived Stress Scale-10) was given to first, second, and third year student pharmacists. Females exhibited higher mean stress scores than males. The under 22 years and over 32 years age categories exhibited higher mean stress scores than the 22 to 26 year old student population. There was no significant difference in perceived stress scores between classes of the program. Only a portion of the variation in stress scores was predicted by gender, age, marital status, race, and year in curriculum. Stress scores among these student pharmacists are higher overall than those in previously published probability samples in the general population. Class assignments and completing electronic portfolios were the top stressors reported. Spending time with family and friends was the most frequent coping mechanism reported. Programming related to stress reduction (particularly among female and nontraditional age students) appears warranted.
Highlights
Stress can be thought of as a state resulting from an “imbalance between demands and resources” or as occurring when “pressure exceeds one’s perceived ability to cope” [1]
Additional secondary objectives of this study were to determine if there is relationship between perceived stress and certain demographic variables, to compare student pharmacist perceived stress to the perceived stress in the general population, and to examine student reported triggers for stress during pharmacy school and coping strategies employed for those stressors
First-year female students reported the highest levels of stress than any other group in this study while second-year males reported the lowest levels of stress
Summary
Stress can be thought of as a state resulting from an “imbalance between demands and resources” or as occurring when “pressure exceeds one’s perceived ability to cope” [1]. Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) accreditation standards and guidelines contain guidance for Standard 24.e regarding student stress: “Colleges and schools are encouraged to assess and correct underlying causes of ineffective learning experiences. Such assessments consider the amount of student effort, the quality of faculty teaching, and the appropriateness of learning assessments used within the courses. In this regard, these assessments include measurements of perceived stress in faculty, staff, and students and an evaluation of stress’ potential for a negative impact on programmatic outcomes and morale.” [3].
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