Stress among Medical Students and Its Association with Substance Use and Academic Performance

Abstract

Background. Chronic stress among medical students affects academic performance of students and leads to depression, substance use, and suicide. There is, however, a shortage of such research evidence in Ethiopia. Objective. We aimed to estimate the prevalence and severity of stress and its association with substance use and academic performance among medical students. Methods. A crosssectional survey was conducted on a sample of 329 medical students at Jimma University. Data were collected using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), Medical Students Stress Questionnaire (MSSQ-20), and Drug Abuse Surveillance Test (DAST). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Logistic regression analysis and Student's -test were applied. Results. The mean age of the respondents was 23.02 (SD = 2.074) years. The current prevalence of stress was 52.4%. Academic related stressor domain was the main source of stress among 281 (88.6%) students. Stress was significantly associated with khat chewing [AOR = 3.03, 95% CI (1.17, 7.85)], smoking [AOR = 4.55, 95% CI (1.05, 19.77)], and alcohol intake [AOR = 1.93, 95% CI (1.03, 3.60)]. The prevalence of stress was high during the initial three years of study. Stress was significantly ( = 0.001) but negatively ( = −0.273) correlated with academic achievement. Conclusion. Stress was a significant problem among medical students and had a negative impact on their academic performance. Year of study, income, and substance use were associated with stress. Counseling and awareness creation are recommended.

The Prevalence of Alcohol and Substance Use Among Medical Students at The Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, 2016

“…1 Several studies have examined the prevalence of alcohol intake or misuse in medical students. 2,3 One study found that the prevalence of alcohol use among senior medical students in 23 medical schools was 87.5%, 4 in first, second, and third-year medical students it was 91.8%, 5 86.0% 2 and 95.0%, 5 respectively.…”

Effect of Stress on Academic Performance of Undergraduate Medical Students

“…Studies established that chronic and continued exposure to stressful condition leads to emotional, physical and mental disturbance of the students [11,12]. Persistent stress leads to low self-esteem of students, difficulty in handling situations, sleep disorders, decreased attention and abnormal appetite which eventually effects the academic achievement and personal growth of students [13].…”

Perceived stress and source of stress among undergraduate medical students of Government Medical College, Mysore

“…11 The other studies done by Chowdhury et al, Panchu et al, Melaku et al all showed a similar result with academic related stressor being the major contributor of stress. 12,22,23 The vastness of the medical syllabus and lack of proper time management lessons for the students are the main reason for academic causes being the major stressor.…”