THE LEVEL OF MENTAL STRESS AMONG I-III YEAR MEDICAL STUDENTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11603/me.2414-5998.2017.2.7914Keywords:
medical students, stress, mental stress.Abstract
The aim of the study – to determine the level and leading symptoms of mental stress among junior medical students, to analyze the spectrum of stress factors influencing them.
The main body. The level and key symptoms of mental stress as well as the spectrum of stress factors influencing those surveyed have been analyzed among 300 junior medical students (I-III year) studying at Vinnytsia National Pirogov Memorial Medical University (using questionnaire “Diagnostics of border mental disorders of individual” by А. V. Batarshev). High level of mental stress of one of four junior medical student have been detected (in particular, among 31±4,62 %, 29±4,54 % and 26±4,39 % of students of the I, II and III year respectively). The key stress factor for persons with high level of mental stress are: lack of time for a rest (93,42±2,93 %), problems with studying (61,84±5,57 %), problems in the personal life (55,26±5,71 %). Every second student points to the need to memorize large amount of material as a stressor (52,63±5,73 %); this factor runs to 100 % among I year students, whereas among students of the II and III year the leading stress factor is the lack of time for leisure (100 %). Sex-related differences in specificity of stress factors occur: boys indicate the conflicts with the teachers as a stress factor more frequently (37,21±7,37 % of males vs. 15,15±6,24 % of females, p<0,05), while among girls this kind of factor is the large volume of material for memorizing (66,67±8,21 % of girls vs. 41,86±7,52 % of boys, p<0,05). Amongst the symptoms of mental stress psychosomatic ones prevail: disorder of sleep (70,0±2,65 %), disagreeable feelings of gastrointestinal tract (63,3±2,78 %) and cardiovascular system (63,3±2,78 %), muscle tightness (63,3±2,78 %), while emotional manifestations of mental stress are of lower value.
Conclusion. High levels of mental stress occurs in one in four medical student who studies at Vinnytsia National Pirogov Memorial Medical University. Possible sex differences likely among average values of the test (for males are higher than for females, p<0,01), as well as for stress factors that cause considerable mental stress are noticed. Among the manifestations of mental stress following ones dominate: sleep deteriorating, hypersensitivity to external stimuls, discomfort of the gastrointestinal tract and cardiovascular system, muscle tension, feeling of insecurity (fixed among more than 50 % of respondents). The key stress factors among students with high levels of mental stress are: lack of time for rest (93.42 %), problems with studying (61.84 %), problems in personal life (55.26 %).References
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