Stress and Basic Need Satisfaction of First-Year Healthcare Professional Students

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Graduate Student Well-being
• Psychological Stress

Background:

• Transitioning to graduate-level health professions programs can induce significant stress.
• Understanding the factors influencing student stress is crucial for developing targeted support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess stress levels and unmet basic needs in first-year graduate healthcare students.
• To identify predictors of perceived stress during the transition to professional school.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 404 first-year students across dentistry, medicine, optometry, and pharmacy programs.
• The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and Basic Need Satisfaction Inventory (BNSI) were utilized.
• Regression analysis identified key predictors of perceived stress.

Main Results:

• Female students reported higher perceived stress and lower basic need satisfaction.
• Basic need satisfaction and gender were significant predictors of perceived stress.
• Perceived stress levels did not vary by specific healthcare program after accounting for gender.

Conclusions:

• Enhancing basic need satisfaction may mitigate perceived stress in graduate healthcare students.
• Female students consistently experience higher perceived stress compared to male students.
• Addressing gender-specific stressors and promoting basic needs are vital for student support.