Stress Management for Medical Students: A Systematic Review

Tertiary education has always been regarded as highly stressful environment to students (Saipanish, 2003; Sherina et. al, 2003). Medical training further adds to the already stressful environment. Studies have revealed a high prevalence of psychological distress in medical students, ranging from 21.6% to 56% (Aktekin et al., 2001; Chandrasekhar et al., 2007; Dahlin et al., 2005; Firth, 1986; Guthrie et al., 1995; Miller Johari Saipanish, 2003; Sherina et al., 2003; Yusoff et al., 2011; Yusoff et al., 2010; Zaid et. al, 2007). Two studies in Malaysian government universities reported that 29.1 % to 41.9% of the medical students surveyed had psychological distress (Sherina et al., 2003; Yusoff et al., 2010) and another study in a Malaysian private medical school reported that 46.2% had psychological distress (Zaid et al, 2007). Apart from that, the stress level is higher in medical students compared to students in other courses. A study in Singapore reported that 57% of medical students had psychological distress compared to 47.3% of law students (Ko et al., 1999). Another study in Turkey reported that 47.9% of medical students had psychological distress compared to 29.2% of economic and physical education students as measured by GHQ (Aktekin et al., 2001). The alarming facts suggested that a sense of growing pressure on medical students.