Prevalence of stress in a Sample of medical students of Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

• Autor(a) principal: Bassols, Ana Margareth
• Data de Publicação: 2008
• Outros Autores: Sordi, Anne Orgler, Eizirik, Cláudio Laks, Seeger, Gabriela Marques, Rodrigues, Graziela Smaniotto, Reche, Mateus
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Clinical and Biomedical Research
• Texto Completo: https://seer.ufrgs.br/index.php/hcpa/article/view/3063
• topic: acadêmico; medicina; estresse; ansiedade; estudante; acadêmico; medicina; estresse; ansiedade

Introduction: Entering Medical School represents a transition toward a new lifestyle and higher curricular standards. Stress can influence academic performance and decision-making skills and establish a proper physician-patient relationship. This study examined the prevalence of stress and associated factors in a sample of medical students of Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) using Lipp’s Adult Stress Symptoms Inventory (ASSI). Methods: This is a cross-sectional, uncontrolled study using a random sample (168 students). Instruments: ASSI, questionnaire with demographic data, use of alcohol and other substances and anxiety symptoms. Results: There was a prevalence rate of stress of 51.3% (95%CI 40.2-62.2), with higher prevalence of physical symptoms than psychological symptoms. From the sixth semester students had higher prevalence of stress (55.3%), with no statistically significant difference between semesters. Regular use of alcohol (43.6%) and stimulants was similar between students with and without stress (P = 0.63). Among students with stress, 40% reported having already experienced panic symptoms, while only 5.3% of those without stress reported such symptoms (P <0.001). Among students with stress, 90% reported presence of anxiety symptoms in the last 6 months, while such symptoms were present in only 39.5% of those without stress (P <0001). Conclusion: These findings suggest the need to investigate the causes of high prevalence of stress to propose preventive measures and/or to provide psychological support for students, providing better medical training.