PERCEIVED STRESS AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS IN SERBIA DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Objective: To determine the level of perceived stress of students of the Medical Faculty in Novi Sad during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and method: This online cross-sectional survey, including 523 medical faculty students was conducted in February 2022. The Perceived Stress Scale was used to assess the level of perceived stress. Descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated using SPSS v22. Results: The average score of the Perceived Stress Scale was 20.43 (SD ± 7.39), which suggests that students at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Novi Sad experienced moderate levels of perceived stress in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Female students experienced higher levels of perceived stress compared to male students. No significant difference was observed among the study programs or the year of study. Conclusion: During the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, medical students showed a moderate degree of perceived stress, whereas female students were significantly more affected. These results indicate the need for further assessment and promotion of students’ mental well-being. Keywords: students; COVID-19 pandemic; perceived stress; medical faculty.