Medical students' coping with stress and its predictors: a cross-sectional study

To analyse stress coping styles of medical students at different time points of medical education and to identify predictors of functional coping.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students (N = 497, 361 women and 136 men) before year one (n = 141), after year one (n = 135) and after year five (n = 220). Students answered the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory, the Work-Related Behaviour and Experience Patterns, the Perceived Medical School Stress Instrument and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Multiple regression was used to examine factors associated with functional coping.

Single factor ANOVA indicated a significant difference for functional coping between the time points (F _{(2, 494)} = 9.52, p < .01), with fifth-year students scoring significantly higher than students before or after year one. There was a significant difference in dysfunctional coping (F _{(2, 494)} = 12.37, p < .01), with students before year one and after year five scoring higher than those after year one. Efficacy (β = 0.15, t ₍₂₁₃₎ = 4.66, p < .01), emotional distancing (β = 0.04, t ₍₂₁₃₎ = 3.50, p < .01) and satisfaction with life (β = 0.06, t ₍₂₁₃₎ = 4.87, p < .01) were positive predictors of functional coping.

Scores for both functional and dysfunctional coping vary during medical education. The reasons for low coping scores after year one require further explanation. These findings represent a starting point for investigations into how to promote functional coping during early medical education.