A Cross-sectional Study of Perceived Stress and Sources of Stress among First Year Medical Students of Gauhati Medical College, Guwahati

Abstract

Stress may be defined as "any factor that threatens the health of an individual or has an adverse effect on the functioning of the body" (Oxford Medical Publications, 1985). Although stress is a normal component of our daily lives, prolonged stress can have negative effects on the mental and physical health of an individual. A student faces different types of stressful situations during his/her academic years. For some students, stress acts as a stimulating factor to help them perform better whereas some students find it difficult to cope up with the pressures of higher education. With this background, the present study was conducted to assess the levels of perceived stress, sources of stress and relation of perceived stress to academic performance among first-year MBBS students. A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the department of Physiology, Gauhati Medical College. 100 first year MBBS students (54 males and 46 females) were included. The mean Perceived Stress Score was 22.48 ± 5.60 (22.70 ±5.05 in females and 22.29±6.07 in males). There was no difference in PSS scores among males and females. The most common stressors were academic and environmental Identification of the sources of stress among students and taking appropriate measures to reduce the negative impact of stressors will promote a healthy academic environment.