The prevalence of stress among medical students in Syria and its association with social support: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction Chronic stress can interrupt personal life and cause fatigue, inability to concentrate, and irritability. This study aims to determine the prevalence of stress and its associated factors among medical students in Syria and whether social support could be a protective factor against stress. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in the faculty of medicine of five Syrian universities. The Medical Student Stressor Questionnaire (MSSQ) was used to evaluate the stress caused by the possible sources of stress. And Social Support Questionnaire – short version (SSQ – short version) was used to assess the social support that medical students received from family, friends, and their fellow medical students using six questions. Results A total of 1472 medical students participated in the study. Among the total participants, 671 (45.6%) were males, and 801 (54.4%) were females. The majority of the participators had mild (50.6%; n = 745) and moderate (37.0%; n = 545) stress levels. Academic-related stressors were the most important cause of stress among undergraduate medical students. Social support was provided equally to both genders, and genders reported the same degree of satisfaction. Conclusion Our results emphasize the importance of improving the curricula, providing mental health consultants for students, and paying more attention to the mental health of female students. Finally, students in their clinical years should also receive mental health care, decreasing their duties and providing more self-free time.

The Prevalence and Associated Factors of Academic Stress among Medical Students of King Khalid University: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study

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Attitude and influencing factors to receive the COVID‐19 vaccine among university students in Sichuan Province, China: A cross‐sectional study

“…This finding can be explained by social support theory. Family members and friends are the solid psychological and spiritual backing of individuals (a form of social support) (Al Houri et al, 2023 ), and the more social support an individual receive, the more conducive to the shaping of good behaviour (Münzer et al, 2017 ). Our participants were university students, for whom living in shared student accommodation is the most important way of living, followed by living at home, and classmates and family members are the main sources of social support.…”

Hubungan Dukungan Sosial dengan Stres Akademik

“…Stresor terkait akademik adalah penyebab stres terpenting di kalangan mahasiswa (Al Houri et al, 2023). Faktor yang ditenggarai berhubungan dengan stres akademik yaitu dukungan sosial.…”