PERCEIVED STRESS, TRIGGERING FACTORS AND COPING STRATEGIES AMONG FIRST YEAR MBBS STUDENTS: A CASE OF REHMAN MEDICAL COLLEGE PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN

Introduction: Every individual experiences some type of stress, but life of a medical student is relatively more stressful. Rehman Medical College adapted to the integrated modular system in order to expose its students to clinical environment right from the first year, hence adding more to an already stressful environment. This study aimed to evaluate stress levels, triggering factors and coping strategies among first year MBBS students at Rehman Medical College Peshawar, Pakistan. Material & Methods : It was a cross-sectional survey based on self-administered questionnaire, where Perceived Stress was measured using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14). A total number of 47 medical undergraduates from the first year MBBS participated in the study. SPSS version 15 was used for data analysis. Result : Ninety percent of students reported some level of stress; 14(30%) were in very much stressful condition with significant difference among male and female students (p=0.004). The major triggering factors among students were difficulty in coping with integrated curriculum, frequent examinations, environment of institute and economical support. Ignoring the stress, going to sleep, indulging in games and sharing of problems were the main coping strategies adopted by the students for managing their stress levels. Conclusion : Stress among medical students was frequent, triggered by high parental expectations, difficulty in coping with modular curriculum, frequent examinations, institutional environment and worries of economic support. Ignoring the stress, going to sleep, indulging in games, sharing the problem with relatives or friends were the major coping strategies. Keywords: Physiological stress, Medical students, Mental Suffering, Curriculum, Counseling.