Psychosocial correlates of perceived stress among undergraduate medical students in Nigeria

Abstract

ObjectivesTo assess the prevalence and factors associated with perceived stress among medical students. MethodsA cross-sectional study of students (n=623) selected across eight medical schools in Nigeria. A structured questionnaire obtained socio-demographic characteristics, alcohol use (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test), other psychoactive drug use (Drug Abuse Screening Test), anxiety/depression symptoms (Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale) and stress (Perceived Medical School Stress Scale). We performed bivariate analysis using the chi-squared test, t-test and one-way ANOVA, with multiple regression analysis for multivariate testing in analysing the data. ResultsMost students reported experiencing medical school stress. Female participants were more likely to perceive medical school as competitive (t(621)=1.17, p=0.003), less likely to see medical school as a threat (t(621)=-2.70, p=0.01) or worry about finances (t(621)=-4.80, p=0.001). Nearly a quarter; 21.3% (n=133) and 28.6% (n=178) reported depression and anxiety symptoms respectively. Approximately 4.2% (n=26) were dependent on alcohol, while 14.1% (n=88) had ‘low-risk use’ for other psychoactive substances. In the multiple regression model, lack of finance (B=2.881, p=0.001), weak adherence to religious faith (B=2.376, p=0.001), anxiety symptoms (B=-2.231, p=0.002), problematic alcohol use (B=5.196, p=0.001) and choice of study influenced by parents (B=-3.105, p=0.001) were predictors of greater perceived stress. ConclusionsMedical students in Nigeria report high levels of stress. Incorporating stress reduction strategies in the medical curriculum, and the input of students in providing feedback regarding the methods and styles of undergraduate medical education is required.

Factors associated with mental distress among undergraduate students in northern Tanzania

“…The amount of stress is likely to increase among university students because of a high parental expectation, very tight academic program and during examinations period which also increases after receiving unexpectedly low scores [3,10,11]. In this study, students experiencing decreased grades than anticipated had higher odds of mental distress.…”

“…Higher prevalence of mental distress among university students have also been reported in Asian and sub-Saharan Africa countries [3,[6][7][8][9][10]. The highest observed proportion was 71.9% among medical students in Jizan University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia [11] which is almost similar to that reported in Tanzania (70%) among non-medical students in Dar Es Salaam [12].…”

“…Moreover, other studies included first year students who are likely to face difficulties in adapting to the university environment but were not available to participate in this study. James et al, [3] assessed perceived medical students stress but used scores instead of a binary categorical variable that estimates prevalence/proportion as done in this study. A qualitative study in UK also reported that many of the students were suffering from mental distress whereby stigma attached to this issue intensifies the problem [13].…”

“…Mental distress is a major public health problem that affect society as a whole and it includes mental problems such as anxiety, depression and somatic symptoms for example sleeping problems, fatigue, headache and back ache [1,2]. University students are consistently reported to have higher levels of mental distress compared to the general population [1][2][3][4]. For instance, significantly higher levels of mental distress were reported among Australian medical students as compared to the general population [4,5].…”

Factores Asociados a Trastornos Psicológicos en Estudiantes De Medicina

“…Esto concuerda con un estudio realizado en Nigeria evidenció que el 4.2% de su población estudiada consume alcohol y cerca del 14.1 tiene tendencia a usas sustancias proactivas 23 .…”