Comparative Analysis of Stress Levels among Medical Students of the Universitas Muslim Indonesia from the 2021-2023 Cohorts Using the Medical Student Stressor Questionnaire (MSSQ)

Background: Stress is a prevalent issue among medical students, often triggered by academic pressure, interpersonal challenges, and high-performance expectations. In Indonesia, numerous studies have reported moderate to severe stress levels among medical students, yet comparative data across different cohorts remain limited. Methods: This study utilized a comparative quantitative design with a cross-sectional approach to analyze stress levels among pre-clinical students of the Universitas Muslim Indonesia (UMI) from the 2021–2023 cohorts. A total of 285 respondents were selected through stratified random sampling. The Medical Student Stressor Questionnaire (MSSQ) was used to assess six domains of stress: academic, intrapersonal and interpersonal, teaching and learning, social, motivational, and group activities. Data collection was conducted online using Google Forms. Statistical analysis included univariate descriptions and bivariate comparisons using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey’s honestly significant difference (HSD) post hoc test. Results: The majority of respondents were from the 2022 cohort (38.20%), female (62.10%), and aged 20 years (33.00%). Moderate stress levels were the most common (41.80%), while severe stress was reported by 4.9% of respondents. The 2023 cohort showed the highest average stress score (72.5), followed by the 2021 cohort (71.1), with the lowest in the 2022 cohort (57.9). Academic factors were the leading cause of high and severe stress (27.80%). The ANOVA revealed significant differences in stress levels between cohorts (p = 0.002), particularly between 2021–2022 (p = 0.017) and 2022–2023 (p = 0.004). Conclusion: Stress levels among medical students differ significantly across cohorts, with academic stress as the most influential factor. These findings emphasize the need for institutional strategies that promote mental health, such as academic mentoring, stress management programs, and curriculum adjustment to enhance student well-being.