Prevalence of perceived stress among undergraduate students in a medical college, Andhra Pradesh: An observational study

Abstract

Background: Numerous studies conducted worldwide have revealed that medical students face great stress during their undergraduate years. In addition to the pressure to perform academically, students must also deal with the uncertainty of their future and the challenges of systemic adjustment. In addition, they deal with family, social, emotional, and physical issues that could impair their capacity to study and do well in school. It has been reported that students’ mental health deteriorates once they enter medical school and does not improve throughout their education. Hence, this study was conducted to study the prevalence of stress and factors associated with stress among undergraduate students at a medical college. Aims and Objectives: The study aimed to study the prevalence of stress and factors associated with stress among undergraduate students of a medical college. Materials and Methods: After obtaining the participants’ ethical committee approval and informed consent, a cross-sectional observational study was conducted for 2 months among 400 undergraduates of a medical college. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software (IBM version 26.0). The association between two categorical variables was measured using the Chi-square or Fisher’s exact test. A P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: In the present study, the overall prevalence of stress was 92.5%. Of the students, 7.5% never had stress, 36.5% experienced mild, 39.5% moderate, and 16.5% perceived severe stress. Regarding sources of stress, 74.5% reported that the vastness of the academic curriculum and loneliness were mentioned by 46.8% and 45.8% said that the food quality in the mess or home was the stressor. Conclusion: A high level of stress was observed among the students. The students followed various coping mechanisms. There is an urgent need for counseling techniques to address the stress among students, and reforms are needed in medical education.