Assessment of Perceived Stress and Coping Behaviour Strategies among Undergraduate Physiotherapy Students: An Online Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract

Context: Negative influence of stress on academic performance and psychological wellbeing has been studied among healthcare students but no major study has explored these aspects among undergraduate physiotherapy students in Gujarat. Aims: Assessment of perceived stress and coping behaviour strategies among physiotherapy students of Surat. Settings and Design: Online survey among various physiotherapy college students of Surat, Gujarat. Methods and Material: Using Google form platform, a total of 144 participants, between the age group 18-21 years, from different colleges of Surat were included. The form included demographic details, the Perceived Stress Scale-10 and the Coping Behaviour Inventory. Statistical analysis: Descriptive statistics were used to express the level of perceived stress and for the demographic data. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to correlate between perceived stress and selection of use of cognitive behavioural coping strategies. Results: 66.66% respondent reported moderate level of stress, 25% reported low level stress and 8.33% reported high perceived stress. Majority of the students reported problem solving as their preferred mode of coping followed by optimistic attitude. A significant positive correlation between perceived stress and selection of use of cognitive behavioural coping strategies as found. (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Most of the students feel that they are moderately stressed due to academic and clinical learning objectives. The most common coping behaviour adapted by physiotherapy students was problem solving during their graduation period. Key words: Behaviour, coping, mental health, physiotherapy, stress, students.