Perceived stress, stress-related symptoms, and support-based coping in healthcare students: insights from a cross-sectional study in the United Arab Emirates

Healthcare students experience significant stress due to rigorous academic demands, frequent assessments, and clinical responsibilities. Prolonged stress can negatively impact academic performance, cognitive abilities, and mental well-being. Understanding stress levels and coping mechanisms among healthcare students is essential for developing targeted interventions to enhance their well-being and academic success. This study aims to assess the prevalence of stress and explore the coping strategies employed by healthcare students. A cross-sectional study was conducted among healthcare students at a medical university in Ajman, UAE. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic data, stress levels using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and coping mechanisms. The final sample consisted of 938 students, recruited using convenience sampling. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data, and chi-square tests were performed to assess associations between stress levels and sociodemographic variables. Data analysis was conducted using IBM® SPSS Statistics version 29.0. Among the participants, 71.1% experienced moderate stress, while 13.8% reported high stress. Stress levels were significantly associated with college affiliation (p = 0.009) and nationality (p = 0.044). The most commonly reported stress-related manifestations were difficulty sleeping (44.5%), feeling overwhelmed (44.1%), and appetite loss (42.5%). Coping strategies varied, with 42.9% of students sometimes relying on parental guidance, 40.5% seeking support from mentors, and 43% turning to friends for stress relief. A significant association was found between coping mechanisms and perceived stress levels (p < 0.001), indicating that students who frequently sought social support experienced lower stress levels. The study highlights the high prevalence of stress among healthcare students and emphasizes the critical role of social support in stress management. Institutional interventions, such as mentorship programs and stress management workshops, could be effective in reducing stress and improving student well-being. Future research should explore the long-term effectiveness of different coping mechanisms and the impact of structured academic interventions on stress reduction.