An investigation of stress and anxiety among health professions students in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND: Early studies during the COVID-19 pandemic identify the dissonance between feeling anxious about contracting the illness and the innate desire to serve the sick, as a main stressor for students. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to better understand psychological stress and self-reported wellness of Physician Assistant (PA), Physical Therapy (PT), dental, and medical students during the early portions of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We utilized the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) together with additional questions to assess self-perceived stress, anxiety, and wellness of healthcare students. DISCUSSION: There were no significant differences in PSS between professions. As PSS increased (indicating more stress), the odds of answering “worse” versus “same” or “better” to descriptions of anxiety level increased (OR: 2.318). CONCLUSION: Student survey respondents experienced similar levels of perceived stress throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Institutions should consider students’ perceived levels of stress and the many aspects of student wellness that may have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.