A CROSS SECTIONAL MULTI-INSTITUTIONAL STUDY DETERMINING THE PREVALENCE AND PREDICTORS OF ACADEMIC STRESS AMONG HEALTHCARE STUDENTS IN SOUTH INDIA

Background: Academic stress is one of the serious mental health problems of healthcare students, which can result in anxiety,depression, and permanent physiological problems. Being the future of the healthcare workforce, it is crucial to determine theexact stressors in this population to formulate effective institutional support. This study aimed to determine the degree ofacademic stress experienced by undergraduates in various medical specialties and to identify the institutional andsociodemographic factors associated with elevated stress levels. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional, multiinstitutionalstudy was conducted on South Indian healthcare students. Data was collected using the Perception of AcademicStress scale (PAS). Prevalence was determined using descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis was utilized to find outsignificant factors causing stress. Results: The findings indicated that academic stress was prevalent among the participantswith a large proportion of them being moderately and severely stressed. Hostel visit, incompetence in the local language,perceived curriculum pressure, poor leisure time were found to be the major determinants. Students who lived with familiesalso reported relatively low levels of stress, which is indicative of the protective nature of social support systems. Conclusion:This paper highlights the fact that the stressful environment of healthcare education, along with such environmental factors asrelocation and language barriers, contribute to agitating student distress. The correlation between the high level of syllabusvolume and the high scores on PAS prominently indicates a revision of the curricula and the inclusion of more stressmanagement programs. Recommendation: Stress at an academic level among students in healthcare in South India iswidespread. These issues should be addressed through institutional policies, such as language assistance to non-local students,better hostels, and easy access to mental health services.