TY - JOUR
T1 - Medical students' coping with stress and its predictors
T2 - a cross-sectional study
AU - Cummerow, Julia
AU - Obst, Katrin
AU - Voltmer, Edgar
AU - Kötter, Thomas
PY - 2023/2/28
Y1 - 2023/2/28
N2 - OBJECTIVES: To analyse stress coping styles of medical students at different time points of medical education and to identify predictors of functional coping.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students (N = 497, 361 women and 136 men) before year one (n = 141), after year one (n = 135) and after year five (n = 220). Students answered the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory, the Work-Related Behaviour and Experience Patterns, the Perceived Medical School Stress Instrument and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Multiple regression was used to examine factors associated with functional coping.RESULTS: Single factor ANOVA indicated a significant difference for functional coping between the time points (F (2, 494) = 9.52, p < .01), with fifth-year students scoring significantly higher than students before or after year one. There was a significant difference in dysfunctional coping (F (2, 494) = 12.37, p < .01), with students before year one and after year five scoring higher than those after year one. Efficacy (β = 0.15, t (213) = 4.66, p < .01), emotional distancing (β = 0.04, t (213) = 3.50, p < .01) and satisfaction with life (β = 0.06, t (213) = 4.87, p < .01) were positive predictors of functional coping.CONCLUSIONS: Scores for both functional and dysfunctional coping vary during medical education. The reasons for low coping scores after year one require further explanation. These findings represent a starting point for investigations into how to promote functional coping during early medical education.
AB - OBJECTIVES: To analyse stress coping styles of medical students at different time points of medical education and to identify predictors of functional coping.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students (N = 497, 361 women and 136 men) before year one (n = 141), after year one (n = 135) and after year five (n = 220). Students answered the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory, the Work-Related Behaviour and Experience Patterns, the Perceived Medical School Stress Instrument and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Multiple regression was used to examine factors associated with functional coping.RESULTS: Single factor ANOVA indicated a significant difference for functional coping between the time points (F (2, 494) = 9.52, p < .01), with fifth-year students scoring significantly higher than students before or after year one. There was a significant difference in dysfunctional coping (F (2, 494) = 12.37, p < .01), with students before year one and after year five scoring higher than those after year one. Efficacy (β = 0.15, t (213) = 4.66, p < .01), emotional distancing (β = 0.04, t (213) = 3.50, p < .01) and satisfaction with life (β = 0.06, t (213) = 4.87, p < .01) were positive predictors of functional coping.CONCLUSIONS: Scores for both functional and dysfunctional coping vary during medical education. The reasons for low coping scores after year one require further explanation. These findings represent a starting point for investigations into how to promote functional coping during early medical education.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85149587896&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/23d7aaac-df32-3ddc-b305-fdda0fc0d2d8/
U2 - 10.5116/ijme.63de.3840
DO - 10.5116/ijme.63de.3840
M3 - Journal articles
C2 - 36870063
SN - 2042-6372
VL - 14
SP - 11
EP - 18
JO - International journal of medical education
JF - International journal of medical education
ER -