STRESS LEVEL AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS IN GEORGIA AND ITS CAUSATIVE FACTORS

Abstract

The study is aimed to determine the prevalence and the stressors among medical students, as well as to observe an association between the level of stress and its causative agents. A questionnaire, consisting of 2 sections, one defining the stress level and the other - causation, was sent to the medical students from year 1 to year 6 of the Tbilisi State Medical University (USMD Program). Perceived stress varied among the academic years, with the mean of 22.4 (on the scale of 0-40), which indicates the moderate level of stress. The first four years had significantly higher stress levels compared to the last two. The most significant stressors were exams and the studying process, whereas least stressful turned out to be communicative stressors. The findings can be useful for medical school professors and administration to understand the students’ well-being, which will be helpful to create a more comfortable study environment.