Assessment of stress level in second year of premedical students

Abstract

Background: The World Health Organization defines stress as anxiety or depression caused by difÏcult situations. Stress is a natural human response to challenges and threats in our lives. Everyone has stress to some degrees. However, how we respond to stress has a significant impact on our daily lives1. In particular, chronic stress disrupts personal life, causing fatigue, loss of concentration, and irritability2. Many studies have shown that medical students have higher levels of stress than the general population. Medical students experience high levels of academic stress in their first 3 years, which can negatively affect their health4. Due to the over workload and studying, preparing for classes causes stress. If this stress continues for a long time, it can lead to chronic fatigue, inability to concentrate, and even negative habits5. Aim: Evaluate the stress level and factors in the second-year premedical students of The Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences (MNUMS). Materials and Methods: The survey was conducted between November 18-25, 2024 using The medical student stressor questionnaire (MSSQ) including 40 questions. Research data was collected using google form, statistical processing was done using Microsoft Excel 2010 and SPSS 25.0 software. Results: A total of 615 second-year premedical students participated in the study. 98 (15.9%) were male and 517 (84%) were female. Academic-related stress group had 295 severe stress (47.9%), interpersonal and interpersonal stress group had 55 severe stress (8.9%), learning and teaching related stress group had 103 severe stress (16.7%), there were 106 (17.2%) cases of severe stress in the social-related stress group, 57 (9%) in the drive and desire related stressors group, and 116 (18.8%) cases of severe stress in the group activities related stressors. Among students, academic related stress (ARS) was the highest compared to other 5 stress groups. In this group, mild stress was found in 7 (1.1%), moderate stress in 62 (10.1%), high stress in 251 (40.8%), and severe stress in 295 (48%) students. Of the 295 students with severe stress, 40% (40) were male and 49% (255) were female, and the above results showed that the stress level was slightly higher among female students. Conclusion: Among the factors that cause academic related stress, a student receiving poor grades is the main cause of severe stress.