Assessment of Stress and Quality of Life in Non-native and Native English-speaking Pharmacy Students

Abstract

The primary and secondary objectives of this study were to evaluate stress and health-related quality of life experienced by non-native English speakers enrolled in a Doctor of Pharmacy program. Methods. This study assessed Doctor of Pharmacy students at a single institution through completion of a selfadministered questionnaire using an online survey tool, QuestionPro. The primary outcome of the study was a comparison of Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) scores. Secondary outcomes were the Medical Outcome Study SF-12 Health Questionnaire scores. An independent samples t-tests was conducted to compare differences between non-native and native English speakers for both primary and secondary outcomes. Results. Three criteria were used to evaluate the language status of a student including, their preference to speak English (91/113 participants), if their primary caregiver spoke English at home (63/113 participants), and the individual student thinking in English (90/113 participants). Evaluation of the primary outcome of PSS score and secondary outcome of SF-12 mental and physical health; revealed no significant difference between native and non-native English speakers using each of the three language related criteria. Conclusion.The results of this study showed native language spoken did not significantly increase stress or decrease quality of life for students in a Doctor of Pharmacy program. However, the survey results indicate experiencing more stress correlated to a decrease in mental health-related quality of life, which indicates the need for further research to identify students at risk for this negative outcome.

Improving and Expanding Research on Burnout and Stress in the Academy

“…Studies have attempted to quantify and compare the stress and burnout experienced by students based on year in the program, gender, ethnicity, or in comparison to other populations. [1][2][3][4][5] In addition to quantifying and identifying stress and burnout, research has also explored both personal and organizational impact of stress and burnout on personal wellbeing and organizational effectiveness with compelling findings regarding the breadth of impact that burnout and stress can have. [6][7][8][9][10] Unfortunately, there is a relative dearth of research especially in pharmacy education regarding interventions with resulting impact on faculty, staff, and student overall well-being,etc.…”