Level of Perceived Stress and Coping Strategies Prevailing Among 1st year Medical Undergraduate Students: A Cross-sectional Study from South India

Context: To maintain high level of proficiency and better patient outcomes, medical personnel suffer from high degree of stress. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of stress and associated coping strategies among medical undergraduate students in a south Indian medical college. Settings and Design: Cross-sectional study was done among 1st year students in a private medical college in Tamil Nadu, India. A self-administered pretested questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic information and information on perceived mental stress (PSS-10) and coping strategies (Brief COPE). Results: About 80% of the boys and 75% of the girls reported a moderate or higher stress level according to the PSS. Most commonly employed coping mechanism among students under stress was religion (25%). Among boys, the most common mechanism was humor (26%) and that of girls was religious methods (30%). Conclusions: Stress was common among first year medical students. There is a requirement for stress management training among MBBS students.