Stress Levels and Associated Factors Among Pharm D Students in A Private College in Telangana State, India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.67440/ahj.vi.2240Keywords:
Pharm D Students, Perceived Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Determinants, Pharmacy College.Abstract
Background: Stress among healthcare students, particularly doctor of pharmacy (pharm D) students, is a growing concern due to heavy academic workloads, clinical training and future career pressures.Objective: To identify stress levels and associated factors among Pharm D students in a private pharmacy college in Telangana state, India.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 144 Pharm D students using validated tools: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4), and a structured stress determinants questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Spearman’s correlation, and Chi-square tests were applied.
Results: The Mdn (IQR) age of participants were 20 (4) years. Significant associations with stress levels were observed using PSS-10 [M(SD) = 19.6±5.2, p<.05] for religion and year of study indicating moderate stress. Higher stress was prevalent among senior students and severe stress among religion. The distribution of depression (PHQ-2) and anxiety (GAD-2) categories observed a significant association between age and anxiety, whereas religion was associated with depression (p=.01). Year of study showed both depression (p=.001) and anxiety (p=.005). The stress determinants indicate that gender, religion and year of study only had significant demographic influences. Strong intercorrelations were observed among the stress domains, particularly between family/friendship and institution (r=.723, p<.01), and academic workload and family/friendship (r=.714, p<.01). Anxiety and depression were positively correlated with stress levels (r=.438 & .526, p<.01). Family-related responsibilities emerged as the most prominent stressor.
Conclusion: The study revealed significant stress levels among Pharm D students, with multiple associated factors influencing their well-being and strong associations to academic progression. The findings emphasize the need for personalized interventions to improve student well-being and academic performance.
