Prevalence and sources of stress among medical students in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)

Background: Being in medical school has always been regarded as highly stressful. Excessive physical and mental health problems. Persistent stress can impair students' acsdemic achieomnent and personal or professional development. The aim of this study is to explore the nature of stnss among medical students by determining the prevalence, sourcea and pattem of stress and the fildors affecting it. Methods: We chose a cross-sectional study design utilizing validated questionnaires, the 12 items General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and Medical Student Stressor Questionnaire (MSSQ), to evaluate stress levels and stressors. School and ethical committee clearance were obtained prior to tbe study. Data were analysed using SPSS version 12 • Results: Of the medical students who were administered the questionnaire, 761 (72%) respondents participated in this study. The prevalence of stress among the medical students was 29.6%. The top 10 stressors were aeademic-related. Prevalence of stress for the first, second, third, fourth and fifth year students was 26.3%, 36.5 %, 31.4%, 35·3% and 21.9%, respectively. Year of study was the only significant factor affecting stress among medical students (P-value < o.os) . Conclusions: The prevalence of stress among medical students in USM is high. Academic· related problems were the ml\ior stressor among medical students. Year of study was the factor most siguific:antly associated with medical students' stress. There was a bimodal pattern of the stress level thruughout the year of study

5th. Asian Medical Education Association Conference Bandung, Indonesia 04-07 Oktober 2009

The medical course has always been regarded as highly stressful. Excessive stress causes physical and mental health problems. Persistent stress will impair students' academic achievement, personal and professional development. Early detection and prevention of this condition will help in reducing the negative impacts of stress on medical students. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to explore the nature of stress among medical students by determining the prevalence, sources, pattern, and determinant factors of stress. It is hoped that understanding the nature of stress will help medical teachers find ways to reduce and minimize the stress level of medical students during their study. METHOD: This study utilized a cross-sectional design. All medical students in the School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia were taken as subjects in this study. Data collection was done two months after the academic session of 2008/2009 started. A validated questionnaire was used. School and ethical committee clearance were obtained prior to the start of the study. Data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 12. RESULTS: 761 (72%) respondents participated in this study. The prevalence of stress among medical students in School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia was 29.6%. The top 10 stressors were academic-related. Prevalence of stress for the first-, second-, third-, fourth- and fifth-year students were 26.3%, 36.5 %, 31.4%, 35.3% and 21.9% respectively. Year of study was the only significant determinant factor of stress among medical students (LR-statistics = 527.18, p-value = 0.034). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of stress among medical students in USM is high. Academic related problems were the major stressors among medical students. Year of study was the factor most significantly associated with medical students' stress level. There was bimodal pattern of stress level throughout the year of study, peaking at the second and fourth years of study

The effectiveness of medical student wellbeing workshop for stress management of medical students, school of medical sciences, USM

Many researchers have emphasized the importance of teaching stress management and self-care skills to medical students as they are vulnerable to develop health problems related to physical, mental and behavior. A 4-hour medical student wellbeing intervention was designed based on the DEAL model to address these problems. A randomized controlled trial study was conducted on 171 medical students. They were randomly allocated into intervention and control groups. Their stress, anxiety, depression, coping strategies and perceived academic stress were measured by validated tools at five different intervals; at 2 weeks before the intervention, and at 1 week, 8 weeks, 16 weeks and 32 weeks after the intervention. The repeated measure ANCOVA was applied to determine the effect of intervention across the five intervals. A total of 153 medical students (intervention = 73 and control = 80) completed this study. Between group analysis showed that the intervention group significantly experienced lower stress (p = 0.009) and depression (p = 0.013) symptoms, less frequent of denial (p = 0.002), less frequent of self-blame (p = 0.002) and lower perceived academic stress (p = 0.009) than the control group. The results support the positive impacts of the DEALbased intervention on the medical students’ wellbeing. It is a promising intervention to be adopted by higher education as it consumes minimal amount of time, money, training and man power as well as simple to be implemented

Elements of effective anatomy teaching from the perspective of medical students

Previous research shows that effective anatomy teaching depends on several factors including the teaching approaches and lecturers' behaviour. However, evidence is scarce on effective teaching in anatomical sciences education. Therefore, this study aims to identify the elements of effective anatomy teaching from the perspective of medical students. A qualitative study was conducted by using a focus group discussion involving 52 medical students from one public medical school in Malaysia. The interview data were transcribed, converted into electronic format, and analysed using thematic analysis via the ATLAS.ti software. The analysis produced three themes, namely: (1) lecturer’s attributes and behaviour; (2) teaching approaches and strategies; and (3) teaching support. Each theme overlies several sub-themes that reflect a considerable number of effective teaching elements. In general, there are thirteen effective teaching elements generated, namely, (1) experience teacher; (2) self-confidence; (3) passionate teaching (4) teaching effort; (5) teachers’ character; (6) integrating different approach; (7) group activity task; (8) good lecturing strategies and techniques; (9) teaching and learning through visual modalities; (10) intraclass activity; (11) teaching tools and facilities; and (12) supplementary teaching session; and (13) online related learning. The findings of this study serve as a foundation for producing effective teaching guidelines that can enhance anatomy teaching in the future

The impact of the Systematic Assessment for Resilience (SAR) framework on students’ resilience, anxiety, depression, burnout, and academic-related stress:a quasi-experimental study

Background: Medical students face significant psychological stress, impacting their academic performance and well-being. The Systematic Assessment for Resilience (SAR) framework is designed to enhance resilience and mitigate stress among medical students, addressing the need for interventions within the assessment system in medical education. The aim of this study was to evaluate the implementation of SAR framework on medical students’ resilience, anxiety, depression, burnout, and academic stress. Methods: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-testing. It involved the training of course coordinators in implementing the SAR framework and its integration into the daily learning activities. Fourth-year medical students were assessed before and after the intervention using standardized measures of resilience, anxiety, depression, burnout, and academic stress. Data were analyzed using quantitative methods and thematic analysis for qualitative feedback. Results: Post-intervention, students demonstrated a significant increase in resilience scores (p &lt; 0.001) and a notable decrease in measures of anxiety, depression, and academic stress (p &lt; 0.001). The burnout types were also statistically different (p &lt; 0.001) except client-related burnout (p &gt; 0.05). Qualitative feedback of the course coordinators highlighted an improved learning environment, increased coping strategies, and a more supportive academic culture. Conclusion: The SAR framework significantly contributes to enhancing medical students’ resilience and reducing psychological distress. Its implementation suggests a promising approach to fostering a supportive educational environment that not only addresses the psychological challenges faced by medical students but also enhances their academic performance and overall well-being. Further research is warranted to explore the long-term impacts of SAR across different medical education contexts.</p

Reframing Resilience Concept:Insights from a Meta-synthesis of 21 Resilience scales

In general context, resilience refers to individuals’ ability to adapt to significant adversities while maintaining good mental and physical well-being. Over the past three decades, resilience paradigm has evolved from a stable trait-oriented approach to process-oriented or outcome-oriented approach. However, robustness of resilience conceptualisation is still scant. Review of the common characteristics of resilience across validated resilience scales were conducted. Several databases were searched, and several keywords were used. Articles that fulfill the predetermined criteria were selected. Twenty-one original articles describing resilience were selected. A thematic approach was performed to categorise common patterns or characteristics shared across the scales that later form emerging constructs representing resilience. Constructs were grouped according to similar attributes, elements, and themes underlying resilience. Four emerging themes were identified; control, resourceful, growth, and involvement. The constructs from the 21 selected scales were mapped against the four emerging themes. Additionally, they are marked as either as exclusive or shared constructs. The relationship between the four emerging themes were determined considering two continuums (present and past) and two conditions (internal and external). Hence, the integrated resilience model was proposed to conceptualise the relationships of the four emerging resilience themes. The integrated resilience model is a promising model that can be used for different practical implications. It can be used to build new measurement scale, nurturing resilience in medical and health professions education and infusing resilience in the assessment practice.</p