Stress Reduction Intervention for Preventive Medicine Students in Vietnam’s Limited Resources Setting Stress Reduction Intervention for Preventive Medicine Students in Vietnam’s Limited Resources Setting

Objectives This study aims to examine the sources of stress among first-year medical students; the frequency of their coping strategies; the factors associated with specific stressors and specific coping strategies adopted by the participants. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study with 409 first-year students at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam. The Vietnamese versions of the Higher Education Stress Inventory (V_HESI) and Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (V_Brief COPE) were validated and were used as measurement instruments for participants’ sources of stress and coping strategies frequencies. The survey comprised questions of socioeconomic status, stress-related issues, the six sources of stress (using the V_HESI), and the nine coping strategies (using the V_Brief COPE). Results Among the six sources of stress, “Worries about future competence/endurance” had the highest mean score (3.02±0.64), while “Mismatch in professional role expectations” had the lowest score (1.60±0.53). “Financial concerns” and “Academic workloads” were also significant sources of stress. Regarding coping strategies, Self-distraction was most frequently adopted by the participants (2.80 ± 0.68). Problem-solving (2.72±0.53) and seeking Social support (2.62±0.70) were also common adaptive strategies. Avoidance (1.87±0.55) and substance-use (1.27±0.55) were the least frequent strategies. Students who experienced acute stress event were more likely to have financial concerns compared to others. Substance use was positively associated with stressors from “Mismatch in professional role expectations”, “Non-supportive educational environment”, “Having physical issues” and “Having part-time job”. Self-blame was more frequent among students with “Worries about future competence/endurance”, “Financial concerns”, and “Academic workload”. Male student tended to adopt humor strategy (β = 0.19, p = 0.02), while less likely to utilize religious practices (β = -0.21, p = 0.01). Conclusions Two-thirds of the participants reported moderate to high levels of stress. “Worries about future competence/endurance” was the most concerned stressor, followed by “Academic workload”, and “Financial concerns”. The first-year medical students reported high frequency of utilization “Self-distraction”, “Problem-solving” and “Social support” when confronting stress. The findings may help inform the school management to better support students’ well-being.

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Academic Stress and Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help among Vietnamese students: the mediating role of Emotional Intelligence

Nguyen-Thi,

Nguyen,

et al. 2024

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Background: Emotional Intelligence is considered a noteworthy concept in the academic environment due to the theoretical significance and practical implications. The objectives of this research were to investigate (1) the correlation between academic stress and emotional intelligence, and (2) the mediating role of attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help. Methods: An online questionnaire was administered to a random sample of 908 Vietnamese secondary school students from December 2023 to January 2024. Three scales were employed to gather demographic variables and self-reported data, including The Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, The Educational Stress Scale for Adolescents, and Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help. Results: The findings indicated substantial differences across many variables, such as gender, grade, and academic performance ranking. The investigation identified substantial significant relationships, including emotional intelligence of others’ emotion appraisal positively affects self-expectation, while self-emotion appraisal negatively influences self-expectation. The analysis determined significant relationships, including others’ emotion appraisal positively affects self-expectation, while self-emotion appraisal negatively influences self-expectation. Use of emotion positively associates with the openness of seeking professional help. Moderation analyses revealed age moderating others’ emotion appraisal and despondency, self-emotion appraisal and the openness of seeking professional help. Conclusion: Emotional intelligence exerts a substantial influence on both academic stress levels and attitudes toward seeking professional psychological assistance. The results are analysed in accordance with the guidelines for conducting mixed-methods research. Workshops and awareness sessions for educators and students on emotional intelligence can beconducted with the cooperation of all parties concerned because of the endorsement of all stakeholders.

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Stress Reduction Intervention for Preventive Medicine Students in Vietnam’s Limited Resources Setting Stress Reduction Intervention for Preventive Medicine Students in Vietnam’s Limited Resources Setting

Cited by 3 publications

References 45 publications

Academic stress and attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help among Vietnamese students: the mediating role of emotional intelligence

Academic stress and attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help among Vietnamese students: the mediating role of emotional intelligence

Sources of stress, coping strategies and associated factors among Vietnamese first-year medical students

Academic Stress and Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help among Vietnamese students: the mediating role of Emotional Intelligence

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