The Prevalence of perceived stress-related to COVID-19 pandemic among undergraduate medical students in the university of Al-Qadisiyah/Iraq
Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on medical students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.28922/qmj.2023.19.2.%25pKeywords:
COVID-19 pandemic, perceived stress, medical students, survey, psychological impactAbstract
Background: The global pandemic has posed significant challenges for medical students, resulting in increased rates of depression, anxiety, and stress. The pandemic has also resulted in substantial disruptions to academic endeavors, clinical training, and prospective career opportunities. Many students have faced increased academic demands as they strive to adapt to virtual learning methods while also dealing with the uncertainty surrounding future clinical placements.
Objective: To assess the prevalence of perceived stress associated with the outbreak of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among medical students and to investigate potential correlating factors to higher prevalence.
Subjects and methods: The study constitutes a cross-sectional analysis which was constructed retrospectively through surveying 350 students who are currently at the 4th, 5th, and 6th stages of medical education. The online questionnaire contained a number of questions that were categorized into three sections including prevalence of stress, influence of sociodemographic characteristics, and reflections of stress-related to the pandemic on student social life.
Results: The study found that 223(63.71%) students suffered from stress related to the pandemic. Stress was homogenously distributed among students according to age and sex, as non significant association was discovered. However, being at an advanced stage of medical education imposed a significant association with high rates of stress (P=0.007). Similar observation was also seen among students who are their parents achieved higher education (P<0.001) and those who are living in urban areas of cities (P=0.009). Similarly, students who showed higher prevalence of stress were also more likely to present worse reflections on student personal and social life, (P<0.001).
Conclusion: The study revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant levels of stress among medical students that were evidently higher with every higher stage of medical education. The pandemic has also impacted students’ social lives and compromised both psychological wellbeing and medical education. It is anticipated that the effects of COVID-19 on the study of medicine and the welfare of students will be substantial and enduring, highlighting the need for a comprehensive preparedness strategy.
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