Stress and Coping in Medical Students at Clinical Level, Khon Kaen University

ABSTRACT

Background:  Studying medicine in clinical level could have more stress than any student, the study program is very intense, a lot of ward work activity and lacking of free time could make them stress  and may result in psychological or emotional impairment during professional life, therefore affect the quality of patient care. It is important that medical student have the appropriate stress coping. Our interested is to study of stress and coping in medical student at clinical level.Objectives: 1. To study the stress in Clinical Medical student in Khon Kaen University. 2.  To study way of coping stress in Clinical Medical student in Khon Kaen University.Methodology: The study was descriptive study applying both , qualitative and quantitative study.Setting: Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen UniversityPopulation and sample All Clinical Medical students, which are 4th-6th year in academic year 2007. This study excluded those who were studying in other hospital during 15th - 28th May 2007 and those who were studying in Department of Community Medicine. All study population are 292 students.Tools and measurement Self administered questionnaire consist of 3 parts, general information,Suanprung Stress Test, the way of coping. In qualitative method, in depth interview guideline was applied.Statistic frequency, percentage, median, interquatile range , min, max, range, mode and 95% CI.Results: Response rate was 82.2%. The study found that 55.8% of medical students had morbid stress and mostly came from 4th year medical student . Self adaptation to study activities was the major cause of stress , followings by examination failure, strictly study schedule and learning one by one with professor. The major way of coping was tension reduction, followings by seeking social support, positive thinking and planful problem solving.Conclusions: Fifty-five point eight percent of medical students had morbid stress. Self adaptation was the major cause of stress and  tension reduction is the major way of coping.Keywords  stress, coping, clinical medical student.