Evaluation of Factors Contributing to Veterinary Student Anxiety Prior to Instructional Surgery Laboratories

Understanding factors contributing to veterinary student anxiety prior to instructional laboratories is important for mitigating those stressors and improving student education. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between student anxiety prior to surgery and demographic and societal variables before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We hypothesized that increased county COVID-19 cases would increase anxiety, and experience level would have no impact. Students were enrolled in this study in 2019 (n = 87), 2021 (n = 84), and 2022 (n = 96). Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), which involved a writing prompt to describe their feelings, and provided a salivary sample immediately prior to their first ovariohysterectomy laboratory. Univariable and multivariable linear models were used to assess for predictors of STAI scores, salivary cortisol levels, and scored prompt responses with significance threshold (p < 0.05). Year and COVID-19 cases were correlated and considered together. A significant predictor for both STAI-S and STAI-T scores was year/COVID-19 (2019 = 0 COVID-19; STAI-S = 54.7 ± 6.6; 2021 = 679 COVID-19, STAI-S = 67.5 ± 6.6; 2022 = 186 COVID-19, STAI-S = 56.7 ± 10.1; p < .001). Alcohol use was predictive of reduced STAI-T scores. Predictors for increasing cortisol levels included year and use of over-the-counter medications. Predictors for short-answer results included year, laboratory role, and experience. Limitations include a limited time studied at one institution and the multifactorial, individualized nature of anxiety. Some measures of anxiety were greater in times of high COVID-19 levels, and there was evidence that anxiety was reduced for more experienced students. More work is needed to understand which factors influence student anxiety so targeted interventions can be evaluated.