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Stress and associated factors with received and needed support in medical students during COVID-19 pandemic: a
Tidarat Puranachaikere1, Somboon Hataiyusuk1, Rungarun Anupansupsai1
1Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Insights
Thai medical students experienced increased stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Enhanced support, including stress-relieving activities and mental health resources, is urgently needed for this population.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Public Health
- Psychology
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted daily life and heightened stress levels globally.
- Medical students, a population already prone to high stress, reported worsened mental well-being during the pandemic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the stress levels and support needs of Thai medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To identify the primary sources of stress and evaluate the adequacy of support provided by medical schools.
Main Methods:
- A multicenter, cross-sectional questionnaire-based study involving 1,395 medical students from second to sixth year across Thailand.
- Data collection included demographics, the Thai version of the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (T-PSS-10), and inquiries about received support and needs.
Main Results:
- The mean T-PSS-10 score was 17.8, indicating elevated stress levels.
- The primary stressors were changes in teaching and evaluation systems.
- Students in larger medical schools reported higher satisfaction with and greater access to support.
Conclusions:
- Medical student stress levels significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- There is an urgent need for stress-relieving activities and improved mental health resource accessibility for medical students.
- Tailored support strategies are crucial to mitigate pandemic-related stress in medical education.
Purpose:
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a global health crisis that has impacted daily life due to the policies created to contain the outbreak. Recent studies showed that medical students, a high-stress population, experienced deteriorated mental well-being during the pandemic. The aim of the present study was to assess stress and the need for support among Thai medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic, as a multicenter study.
Methods:
The present study was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study which collected data from second through sixth year medical students. Data was collected during the pandemic from multiple medical schools spanning all six regions of Thailand. Questionnaires included: demographic data; the Thai version of the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (T-PSS-10) assessing stress level and the sources of stress; and the received supports from medical schools, the satisfaction with the supports, and the further necessary needs.
Results:
There were 1,395 medical students who responded to the questionnaires. Mean T-PSS-10 score was 17.8. Most of the sources of stress were related to the changing of teaching and evaluation system. Students residing in larger medical schools were significantly more satisfied with received support and tended to gain greater support than those in medium and small sized schools. Stress-relieving activities arrangement was considered the most sought after additional support by students.
Conclusion:
Medical student stress levels were higher during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic levels. Stress relieving activities, availability and access to mental health resources, and other strategies to reduce stress among medical students are urgently needed.
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