The positive and negative consequences of stress and its relationship with coping in medical students
A qualitative study
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21448733 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Amy Elizabeth Manley (0000-0001-6972-1963, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, corresponding author), Lucy Biddle (0000-0002-1090-8771, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol), Jelena Savović (0000-0002-2861-0578, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol), Paul Moran (0000-0002-9257-8699, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 323-328 |
| Publication date | 2025-02-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Medical Teacher (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0142-159X • E-ISSN: 1466-187X |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/0142159x.2024.2333799 |
| PMID | 38593839 |
| OpenAlex | W4394593494 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 15 |
Rates of mental health problems among medical students have prompted efforts to reduce stress during medical training. However, stress can be motivating and is a feature of clinical work. This qualitative study explores what makes an experience stressful, and how medical students respond to such experiences. In-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 15 medical students. Experiences were distressing when they threatened students' self-perception, goals or coping mechanisms, or when they reminded the student of distressing past events. Moderate stress was motivating and could build resilience. Students selected coping mechanisms based on their availability, acceptability, likely outcome and their previous experience of using these mechanisms. Social support, extra-curricular activities and exercise were helpful. High levels of distress, poor self-esteem and course factors, including remote placements, impaired engagement with coping strategies. Perception of stressors as being insurmountable or beyond one's control, led to increasing distress and the adoption of avoidant coping strategies. University strategies need to consider the beneficial effects of stress and seek to bolster coping resources as well as minimising unnecessary sources of stress
Coping (psychology) · Distress · Distressing · Mental health · Perception · Psychotherapist · Qualitative research · Social support · Stressor · Clinical Psychology · Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout · Innovations in Medical Education · Medical Education and Admissions · Psychology · Social Psychology
Challenge or threat? Cardiovascular indexes of resilience and vulnerability to potential stress in humans
Implications of Resilience Concepts for Scientific Understanding
A Conceptual Model of Medical Student Well-Being
Medical Student Mental Health 3.0
Stress, appraisal, and coping
Investigating the role of technostress, cognitive appraisal and coping strategies on students' learning performance in higher education
Medical students’ perceptions of stress due to academic studies and its interrelationships with other domains of life
Approach, avoidance, and coping with stress
Using thematic analysis in psychology
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |