Assessing stress among medical students in Anbar governorate, Iraq: a cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION: A high prevalence of stress has been recorded among medical students worldwide. Additionally, high levels of personal distress may have a negative effect on the cognitive functioning and learning abilities of medical students. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using medical students in the Al-Anbar governorate; data collection was carried out from February to March 2018. The assessment of stress levels among these students was administered using the Kessler10 Psychological Distress instrument (K10). RESULTS: 231 students (77.5%) reported at least some degree of stress, ranging between severe (30.2%), moderate (25.5%) and mild (21.8%). The highest proportion of students with stress (11.5%) was reported by first-year students; this proportion largely fell within the moderate and severe categories. There was a significant statistical association between gender and stress level. CONCLUSION: There is a high level of stress among medical students in Falluja and Anbar Universities; this may require special programmes to identify any predisposing factors.