Perceived Stress among Undergraduate Medical Students in Dehradun: Prevalence and Demographic Correlates

Background: Medical students experience significant stress due to the rigorous demands of their academic training. Unmanaged stress may lead to poor academic performance and deterioration of mental health. Aim & Objective: To determine the prevalence of perceived stress among undergraduate medical students and to assess its relationship with selected demographic characteristics. Settings and Design: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was carried out among MBBS students enrolled in a private medical college in Dehradun Methods and Material: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate medical students using self-administered questionnaires. The Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10) was used to assess perceived stress. Statistical analysis used: Descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation, multivariate and ordinal logistic regressions. Results: Moderate to high perceived stress was reported by 88.2% of participants. Female students had significantly higher mean PSS scores than males (21.5 ± 6.3 vs 19.4 ± 6.1, p = 0.027). Ordinal logistic regression indicated a non-significant trend toward higher stress among female students (p = 0.059). Conclusions: A substantial proportion of undergraduate medical students experienced elevated levels of perceived stress, with higher stress scores observed among female students. These findings underline the need for targeted, gender-responsive mental health interventions and structured stress-management initiatives within medical training programs.