inInvestigation of Stressors Affecting a sample of Pharmacy Students and the Coping Strategies Employed using Modified Academic Stressors Scale and Brief Cope Scale: a Prospective Study

Objective: To study the relationship between perceived stress, health outcomes of different batches of pharmacy students. Methodology: A total of 320 undergraduate pharmacy students in AIMST University were included in the study. Voluntary participation was mandatory and Informed Consent Forms were provided to each participant, prior to answering selfadministered questionnaires, which were distributed in two phases. A prospective cross-sectional correlation design used o examines correlations between perceived stress, physical activity, and other health behaviors in pharmacy students. Results: Frequencies and descriptive data analysis was done and statistical difference between the phases were calculated using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post hoc test. A few stressors [mid-semester and final examinations; study break periods; grades acquired (GPA and CGPA); financial issues] showed significant variations. The two-tailed unpaired t-test revealed significant changes in stress levels and responses between both phases, possibly due to the timing of each phase (before mid-sem exams and after mid-sem exams). A worrying aspect was the increase in negative coping strategies in many categories. Conclusion: Stressors and stressful events do have a major impact on a student’s academic and extra-curricular life. Managing stress in a positive manner helps to cope appropriately with stress and enable each student to face life’s future stressful situations in a prepared manner. The modified study instrument used in this study explored various dimensions of stress (general stressors, test anxiety stressors, stressful events checklist and stress coping strategies). It is a beneficial tool for evaluating students’ stress levels and to take appropriate remedial measures.