COMPARATIVE STUDY OF STRESS LEVELS IN CLINICAL VS NON-CLINICAL YEARS AMONG UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS IN PESHAWAR
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Abstract
Many students report high levels of psychological stress as a result of the heavy cognitive and emotional demands of medical school. Undergraduate medical students in Peshawar were the subjects of this study, which sought to assess their levels of felt stress during their clinical and non-clinical years. Higher levels of stress were found among clinical-year students in a cross-sectional study using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). The results underscore the need of developing individualized plans to alleviate stress among students based on their current academic standing.
References
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2. Yusoff MSB, Abdul Rahim AF, Baba AA, Ismail SB, Mat Pa MN, Esa AR. The impact of medical education on psychological health of students: a cohort study. Psychol Health Med. 2013;18(4):420–30.
3. Firth-Cozens J. Medical student stress. Med Educ. 2001;35(1):6–7.
4. Lloyd C, Gartrell NK. Psychiatric symptoms in medical students. Compr Psychiatry. 1984;25(6):552–65.
5. Tempski P, Bellodi PL, Paro HBMS, Enns SC, Martins MA. Medical students’ wellbeing: a multicenter study in Brazilian medical schools. Acad Med. 2012;87(10):1371–8.
6. Shah M, Hasan S, Malik S, Sreeramareddy CT. Perceived stress, sources and severity of stress among medical undergraduates in a Pakistani medical school. BMC Med Educ. 2010;10:2.
7. Khan MS, Mahmood S, Badshah A, Ali SU, Jamal Y. Prevalence of depression, anxiety and their associated factors among medical students in Karachi, Pakistan. J Pak Med Assoc. 2006;56(12):583–6.
8. Aslam N, Mansoor A, Khan TM. Stress in medical students of a private medical college. J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad. 2021;33(1):50–3.
9. Cohen S, Kamarck T, Mermelstein R. A global measure of perceived stress. J Health Soc Behav. 1983;24(4):385–96.
10. Cohen S, Williamson G. Perceived stress in a probability sample of the United States. In: Spacapan S, Oskamp S, editors. The social psychology of health. Newbury Park, CA: Sage; 1988. p. 31–67.
11. Stewart SM, Betson CL, Marshall I, Wong CM, Lee PW, Lam TH. Stress and vulnerability in medical students. Med Educ. 1995;29(2):119–27.
12. Zoccola PM, Dickerson SS. Assessing the relationship between rumination and cortisol: a meta-analysis. Health Psychol. 2012;31(6):640–9.
13. Abdulghani HM, AlKanhal AA, Mahmoud ES, Ponnamperuma GG, Alfaris EA. Stress and its effects on medical students: a cross-sectional study at a college of medicine in Saudi Arabia. J Health Popul Nutr. 2011;29(5):516–22.
14. Dyrbye LN, Harper W, Durning SJ, Moutier C, Thomas MR, Massie FS Jr, et al. Patterns of distress in US medical students. Med Teach. 2011;33(10):834–9.
15. Ishak W, Nikravesh R, Lederer S, Perry R, Ogunyemi D, Bernstein C. Burnout in medical students: a systematic review. Clin Teach. 2013;10(4):242–5.
16. Santen SA, Holt DB, Kemp JD, Hemphill RR. Burnout in medical students: examining the prevalence and predisposing factors during the fourth year of medical school. Acad Med. 2010;85(5):758–63.
17. Compton MT, Carrera J, Frank E. Stress and depressive symptoms/dysphoria among US medical students: results from a large, nationally representative survey. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2008;196(12):891–7.
18. Wolf TM. Stress, coping and health: enhancing well-being during medical school. Med Educ. 1994;28(1):8–17.
19. Shapiro SL, Shapiro DE, Schwartz GE. Stress management in medical education: a review of the literature. Acad Med. 2000;75(7):748–59.
20. Kjeldstadli K, Tyssen R, Finset A, Hem E, Gude T, Grønvold NT, et al. Life satisfaction and resilience in medical school – a six-year longitudinal, nationwide and comparative study. BMC Med Educ. 2006;6:48.
21. Dahlin M, Joneborg N, Runeson B. Stress and depression among medical students: a cross-sectional study. Med Educ. 2005;39(6):594–604.
22. Slavin SJ, Schindler DL, Chibnall JT. Medical student mental health 3.0: improving student wellness through curricular changes. Acad Med. 2014;89(4):573–7.
23. Yusoff MSB. Stress, stressors and coping strategies among secondary school students in a Malaysian government secondary school: initial findings. Asean J Psychiatry. 2011;12(1):1–15.
24. Pereira MA, Barbosa MA, de Rezende JC, Damásio ÉA. Burnout in nursing students: a mixed method study. Rev Lat Am Enfermagem. 2012;20(5):924–32.
25. Wilkes M, Bligh J. Evaluating educational interventions. BMJ. 1999;318(7193):1269–72.
26. McLuckie A, Matheson KM, Landers AL, Landine J, Novick J, Barrett T, et al. The relationship between psychological distress and perception of emotional support in medical students and residents and implications for educational institutions. Acad Psychiatry. 2017;41(3):374–9.
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Published
Aug 11, 2025
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How to Cite
Dr. Asma Azam, Dr Hafiza Rabail Ali, Dr. Fawad Ahmed, Dr. Syed Wasif Ali Shah, Dr. Malghalara khattak, & Dr. Bushra Saddiq. (2025). COMPARATIVE STUDY OF STRESS LEVELS IN CLINICAL VS NON-CLINICAL YEARS AMONG UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS IN PESHAWAR. Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 32(7), 277-281. https://doi.org/10.53555/4v03vn84
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Author Biographies
Dr. Asma Azam
MBBS, Lecturer, IHPER KMU
Dr Hafiza Rabail Ali
MBBS, CHPE, MHPE Scholar, MHPE scholar Khyber Medical University, Peshawar
Dr. Fawad Ahmed
BDS MHPE scholar, Lecturer Gandhara University Peshawar
Dr. Syed Wasif Ali Shah
BDS MHPE scholar Khyber Medical University
Dr. Malghalara khattak
Lecturer Foundation University Medical College Islamabad
Dr. Bushra Saddiq
3rd Year BDS, Rehman College of Dentistry
How to Cite
Dr. Asma Azam, Dr Hafiza Rabail Ali, Dr. Fawad Ahmed, Dr. Syed Wasif Ali Shah, Dr. Malghalara khattak, & Dr. Bushra Saddiq. (2025). COMPARATIVE STUDY OF STRESS LEVELS IN CLINICAL VS NON-CLINICAL YEARS AMONG UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS IN PESHAWAR. Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 32(7), 277-281. https://doi.org/10.53555/4v03vn84