Stress Among 1st year Medical Students in Bangladesh

Abstract

Background: The MBBS course is a long and stressful course throughout the world for undergraduate medical students. There is a growing concern about stress among medical students and its effects. Although each year of medical students is characterized by unique stress, the students in their first year are more prone to stressful situations. The reasons include academic pressure, unrealistic expectations and unfamiliarity in a new environment. These stresses are badly affecting their physical and mental health, which also affects their academic performance. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study over four weeks in the year 2022, conducted at different medical colleges in Sylhet. The sample size was 286 first-year MBBS students in different medical colleges. The sampling technique was a non-probability convenient type. Data were collected by using the pretested Medical Students Stressor Questionnaire (MSSQ) and examined using SPSS, version 22. Results: A total of 286 medical students were recruited, with age range of 19-21years; among them, 90 were male and 196 were female. The maximum number of students found to have moderate stress (185, 64.7%) followed by much stress (80, 28.0%).There were few students with no stress (0.3%), extreme stress (1.0%), and mild stress (5.9%) found in this study. The unpaired t-test showed significantly higher (p = <0.001) stress among females (3.82±0.49) than males (3.52±0.49). Conclusion: It can be concluded that the vast majority of students experienced moderate stress, and analysis highlighted a greater association with academic factors. So, the purpose of our study is to design a proper curriculum for our students where mental health will be given priority.