ArticlePloS one2026
Academic stress and its psychosocial and behavioral determinants in medical students: Findings from a cross-sectional study.
Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAcademic stress is a widespread challenge in medical education, with psychological, behavioral, and contextual factors contributing to it. This study estimated the prevalence of academic stress among Bangladeshi medical students and identified key psychosocial and behavioral predictors to guide targeted interventions.
methodsA multicenter cross-sectional study (October-December 2022) used a stratified random sample of 1,072 undergraduate students from eight public medical colleges representing all administrative divisions of Bangladesh. Validated instruments measured academic stress (Academic Stress Scale, ASS-40), depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), insomnia (ISI), internet addiction (IAT), self-esteem (RSES), and coping styles (SCSI). Analyses included descriptive statistics, chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests, multivariable logistic regression to identify independent predictors, and structural equation modeling (SEM) and network analysis to explore direct and indirect pathways.
resultAcademic stress was reported by 47.5% of participants. In adjusted logistic regression models, moderate anxiety was associated with increased odds of academic stress (AOR = 3.95; 95% CI 1.98-7.90), and severe depression showed a markedly elevated association (AOR = 21.54; 95% CI 7.21-64.38). Behavioral factors were also influential: moderate-to-severe problematic internet use was strongly associated with academic stress (AOR = 17.78; 95% CI 9.66-32.72). Additional independent predictors included advanced academic year, higher monthly expenditure, and urban residence. Active problem-focused coping conferred modest protection against academic stress (AOR = 0.89; 95% CI 0.83-0.95). Structural equation modeling supported a model in which psychological distress exerted both direct effects on academic stress and indirect effects mediated by sleep disturbance and internet addiction, while network analysis identified depressive symptoms, insomnia, and internet addiction as central nodes within the stress network.
conclusionsNearly half of the sampled medical students experienced significant perceived academic stress. Interventions that integrate mental health services, sleep-hygiene promotion, responsible digital-use policies, and training in adaptive, problem-focused coping are recommended.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.