ArticlePloS one2023
Effect of academic stress, educational environment on academic performance & quality of life of medical & dental students; gauging the understanding of health care professionals on factors affecting stress: A mixed method study.
Article in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The effectiveness of music interventions on psychological, physiological and academic outcomes in health sciences students: a meta-analysis.BMC medical education · 2026Pooled it
- The effectiveness of aromatherapy interventions on psychological, physiological and academic outcomes in nursing and health sciences students: a meta-analysis.BMC medical education · 2026Pooled it
- Examining the multidimensional structure of stress among international medical students: a construct-based approach.BMC medical education · 2026Article
- Academic stress and its psychosocial and behavioral determinants in medical students: Findings from a cross-sectional study.PloS one · 2026Article
- Article
- Examining relationship between unhealthy lifestyle and life satisfaction among new students at Tehran University of Medical Sciences.PloS one · 2026Article
- Exploring Psychosocial Stressors, Exam Performance, and Grit Among Preclinical Medical Students.Advances in medical education and practice · 2026Article
- Academic self-perceptions and AI use among health professions students: the serial mediating roles of learned helplessness and academic-clinical learning loneliness.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- "Unveiling the burden: mental health challenges and coping strategies among moroccan medical students".BMC medical education · 2025Article
- Prevalence and level of stress among final-year students at a health science institute in Bangladesh.Discover mental health · 2025Article
- The relationship between health-related quality of life and academic success in nursing students: the mediating role of academic burnout and academic motivation.BMC medical education · 2025Article
- Change is never easy: Exploring the transition from undergraduate to dental student in a U.S.-based program.PloS one · 2025Article
- Crying in the algorithm: modeling academic stress via multilayer topic construction and ERA effect.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Managing Stress and Somatization Symptoms Among Students in Demanding Academic Healthcare Environments.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Is geriatric medicine teaching homogeneous? The analysis of geriatric medicine courses at Polish undergraduate medical programmes.European geriatric medicine · 2024Article
- Exploring the longitudinal impacts of academic stress and lifestyle factors among Chinese students.Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice · 2024Article
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8 authors.
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Abstract
introductionThroughout their academic careers, medical and dental students face challenges that cause varying levels of stress, affecting their academic performance and quality of life (QoL). Our study aims to ascertain the effect of academic stress and the educational environment on the QoL and academic performance of medical and dental students, encompassing the perspectives of both students and healthcare professionals.
methodsA mixed-method research was conducted from February to May 2022, comprising students from a medical and dental college in Pakistan. During Phase 1, the students participated in the cross-sectional survey and completed the WHO Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL-BREF), Academic Stress Scale, and Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) Inventory questionnaires. Academic performance was evaluated through last year's annual assessment results of the students. During Phase 2 of the study, interviews with healthcare professionals who had experience as the students' counsellors were conducted.
resultsThe mean age of the sample (n = 440) was 22.24 ±1.4 years. The Cronbach Alpha reliability of the DREEM inventory was 0.877, that of the Academic Stress Scale was 0.939 and the WHOQOL scale was 0.895. More than half of the students (n = 230, 52.3%) reported better QoL and the majority perceived a positive educational environment (n = 323, 73.4%) and higher academic stress (n = 225, 51.1%). Males had significantly more academic stress (p<0.05). Those who perceived a positive educational environment and better QoL had better academic performance (p<0.05). Academic performance was positively and significantly correlated with QoL and academic stress (p = 0.000). In qualitative analysis, 112 codes were generated which converged into 5 themes: challenging educational environment, psychological need and support, individual differences, relationship and family life, and adjustment issues.
conclusionMedical and dental students encounter a myriad of challenges, along with significant academic stress, which detrimentally affects their academic performance, despite perceiving a positive educational environment. Conversely, a better QoL is associated with improved academic performance.
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