Affiliations 

  • 1 Abdus Salam, MBBS; MPH; PgDipMedEd, MMedEd. Associate Professor, Medical Education Department
  • 2 Raynuha Mahadevan, BA Hons; MA. Lecturer and Clinical Psychologist, Department of Psychiatry
  • 3 Amir Abdul Rahman, Final Year Medical Students, Medical Education Department, Special Study Module Research Group-47, Session 2013/2014
  • 4 Norsyafiqah Abdullah, Final Year Medical Students, Medical Education Department, Special Study Module Research Group-47, Session 2013/2014
  • 5 Aimi Aqilah Abd Harith, Final Year Medical Students, Medical Education Department, Special Study Module Research Group-47, Session 2013/2014
  • 6 Chu Pei Shan, Final Year Medical Students, Medical Education Department, Special Study Module Research Group-47, Session 2013/2014
Pak J Med Sci, 2015 Jan-Feb;31(1):169-73.
PMID: 25878637 DOI: 10.12669/pjms.311.6473

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To identify the stress-prevalence and coping-strategies among University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) medical students.
METHODS: This was an observational study conducted among 234 UKM first and third year medical students. Standardized questionnaire on stress and coping strategies was used. Stress data was related to subjective experiences on some positive and negative adjectives such as tense, relaxed etc. Positive adjectives were measured by sign "++" and "+" scoring "1" while stress-negative adjectives were measured by sign "?" and "-" scoring "0". Forty-eight coping items under task, emotion and avoidance strategies were measured using 5-point Likert-scale.
RESULTS: Overall stress-prevalence was 49%. Female and Malay respondents were more stressed. Significant differences of stress-level was observed between Malays and non Malays in first year (p=0.04) and in third year (p=0.01). Most common strategies used to cope stress was task-oriented while emotion oriented was least.
CONCLUSION: Stress-prevalence and stress-level in UKM medical students was high. Most of the respondents coped stress using task-oriented strategies. Stressor and its effective management must be ensured. Educational institutions should act as a creative designer of learning environment to get relieve from educational stressor.
KEYWORDS: Coping strategies; Medical students; Stress prevalence

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.