Stress and its Effects on Medical Students in Early Years

Abstract

Introduction: Stress can have a variety of effects on a medical student’s performance. It can cause decreased concentration and memory retention, making it difficult to remember information. Furthermore, stress can cause anxiety, which can result in poor decision-making and mistakes in patient care. This study aims to assess the stress level among medical students during their early year of study. Methods and Instruments: A descriptive quantitative cross-sectional study was utilized on medical students in first, second and third years of their study in Fakeeh College for Medical Sciences, Jeddah, KSA; data collection was carried out to assess the medical students stress level. The levels of stress were assessed among these students using the Perceived Stress Scale- 10 item version (PSS-10), self-report scale measures the degree to which one feels overwhelmed and unable to predict the future. Results: A descriptive statistic of the ten items of the PSS questionnaire reveals that the high percent of students perceive two items (one and three) very often. The majority of respondents reported moderate level of stress level. However, The Pearson’s correlations between GPA and the average score of PSS was not statistically significant. Conclusion: There is a high percentage of moderate stress among medical students at Fakeeh College for Medical Sciences especially first year medical students; this requires special orientation program to improve students time management and study skills sessions. Further research is needed to explore the predisposing factors for this stress.