Perceived Stress and Sources of Stress among Medical Undergraduates, Lahore, Pakistan

ABSTRACT Objective: To determine the level of perceived stress and the probable stressors. Study Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out during April 2018 in Lahore. Materials and Methods:Convenient sampling was used. A questionnaire with 30 items and PSS-10 was completed by 500 medical students. SPSS-22 software was used for analysing the data. For analysing differences in mean perceived stress score in different groups, ANOVA technique was used. For determining the main stress element, binary Logistic Regression Analysis was performed. P-Value was set at 0.05. Results: 90%(450/500) was the total response rate. The total mean PSS was 21.32 (SD=5.21) and was significantly highamong the 1st year students with a score of 22.41 (SD=6.14). The occurrence of academic, health and psychological associated stressors were 38%, 32% and 30% respectively. Conclusion:Perceived stress at increased level was found among fresh enrolling MBBS students. The most commons stressors were the academic stressors.It is imperative for medical teachers to appreciate the level of stress and its different causes in undergraduate medical student. Therefore, an early guidance and regular assessments of stressors is suggested which will support in preparing students for stressful career of a health professional