Stress coping mechanisms practiced by medical undergraduates of a State Medical School in Sri Lanka

Identifying the coping mechanisms practiced by the medical students is of importance and must be explored to promote healthy stress coping methods. Hence, a descriptive cross-sectional study was undertaken with a sample of 410 medical students from a State Medical School in Sri Lanka. The research question of the study focused on identifying the different coping methods practiced by medical students. A questionnaire with 2 parts, A and B, was used to collect data on stress coping methods used by the study participants. The study also obtained data on the effectiveness of popular stress coping methods from the users. The responses for the questions in part A showed a trend of positive outlook in all general aspects of life except for one question, which directly questioned the ability of students to cope with stress imposed by the academic programme. Based on the results from part B of the questionnaire, the most common and widely used stress coping mechanisms included sleeping, listening to music and talking with friends and family. Effective coping strategies identified to minimize stress were religious activities like praying/worshiping and meditation. Moreover, seeking advice from lecturers, seniors, going home and engaging in sports and games were also found to be effective in lessening stress. In conclusion, facilities for students to involve in religious activities such as prayers and meditation shall be available in the Faculty. Getting counseling and involving in sports also appear to alleviate stress and these should be integrated into the life of medical students.