+Evaluation of Perceived stress among medical students during online education

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:- COVID-19 is a newly discovered contagious corona virus that was first appeared in Wuhan, China in 2019 that affected entire mankind globally and was declared pandemic by WHO (World Health Organization). This pandemic outbreak can have psychological health consequences worldwide due to enforced adaptation in lifestyle and education, so this study evaluated the perceived stress level among medical students during online education due to COVID-19 outbreak. METHODS: - Through an online survey, a cross-sectional study was undertaken using self-reported data from students from multiple universities in Delhi, NCR, India (n = 578). A PSS (Perceived stress scale) questionnaire was developed and sends to the respondents through WhatsApp, emails etc. and data was analyzed through descriptive statistics. RESULTS:-Out of 578 responses 49% were male and 51% were female. Majority of students shows moderate levels of stress (81%) while 10% students registered high levels and rest 9% were having low stress levels. Students that registered majority of moderate levels of stress were between 20-22 years of age. CONCLUSION:- It is clear that this pandemic had elicited a strong and varied response from students and for that mental health issues should be considered across multiple domains and in all age groups ,groups and populations. Students, as well as general public, require stress management during COVID-19 pandemic. Student’s stress levels during distant learning could be reduced by incorporating online counseling and stress management programs.