Study of mechanisms of coping, resilience and quality of life in medical undergraduates

Abstract

Introduction: The period of undergraduation in the medical field is challenging, and the medical student is exposed to various stressors. Aims and Objectives: This study was designed to identify the mechanisms of coping, resilience and quality of life (QoL) and their correlations in medical undergraduates, so as to find some factors which can help to make some positive changes in medical curriculum. Methodology: Totally, 250 medical students representing all academic years of medical college were provided with questionnaires investigating their sociodemographic profile, coping skills, resilience, and QoL. Using appropriate statistical tests, the parameters were studied along with a search for the factors affecting them. A comparison of all these factors was also done among the students of all the academic years of medical school. Results and Discussion: Problem-solving and fatalism was more in immigrant students than native students of Mumbai. Problem-oriented mechanisms of coping, resilience, and QoL were higher in students doing internship. However, students of 3 rd year part 2 were less resilient, used emotion-focused ways of coping and had a lower QoL. There was a good shift of positive ways of handling stress with an increase in the academic year. Problem-oriented mechanisms of coping positively correlated with resilience and QoL. High resilience was also found as a positive factor for good QoL. Conclusion : Along with the clinical component, an equal emphasis should be given to improve the social and personal life of a medical student helping them to cultivate more problem-based coping and increasing their resilience so as to ultimately improve their QoL.