The effect of a problem-focused coping stress management program on self-efficacy, psychological distress, and salivary cortisol among first-year medical students of Udayana University

Objective@#Current evidence has shown academic stress to be associated with student maladaptive behavior. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a problem-focused coping stress management program on first-year medical students’ self-efficacy, psychological distress and find its effect on salivary cortisol. @*Method@#Forty students who scored high on academic stress and external locus of control were randomly selected as the intervention (n = 26) and control group (n = 14). An intervention in the form of a problem-focused coping stress management program was organized. The intervention was a 1½-hour training class conducted once a week for four weeks. @*Results@#There was a significant difference in self-efficacy between the intervention and control groups (p-value = 0.029). The self-efficacy score was significantly higher after the intervention (19.31 ± 2.396 vs 21.27 ± 2.677, p = 0.005). Likewise, a significant difference in the psychological distress between the two groups was found after the intervention (control group = 40.14 ± 3.860; intervention group = 37.12 ± 4.537, p < 0.05). We also found a significant decrease in salivary cortisol after the intervention among this group (0.68262 μg/dl ± 0.367 to 0.43304 μg/dl ± 0.231, p < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in cortisol between intervention and control group after the intervention (0.49479 μg/dl ± 0.264 and 0.43304 μg/dl ± 0.231, p = 0.448). @*Conclusion@#The problem-focused coping stress management program improved self-efficacy and decreased the psychological distress and salivary cortisol of first-year medical students in this research

Correlation of telomere length and serotonin levels with job stress and locus of control type among nurses at a private hospital in Gianyar, Indonesia

Objectives@#Telomere length and its relationship to job stress among workers in the health sector in Indonesia, especially in Bali, have never been studied. The purpose of the study was to analyze the correlation of the telomere length and serotonin levels to job stress and the type of locus of control (LOC) among nurses who were running shift work.