Stress in university students of health careers: Impact of the return to in-person education post pandemic by Covid-19

Authors

  • Mauricio Lorca Navarro Universidad Austral de Chile
  • Esperanza Araya Orellana Universidad San Sebastián, Chile
  • Valentina Dabove Rybertt Universidad Austral de Chile
  • Ricardo Arteaga San Martín Universidad Austral de Chile
  • Vanessa Bouquillard Escalona Universidad Austral de Chile

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14482/sun.40.03.025.002

Keywords:

academic stress, university students, Pandemic, Covid.

Abstract

 

Introduction: In 2022, university students returned to ''normality'' in their academic activities, returning to face-to-face activities and pre-pandemic teaching strategies, adding an additional stress factor to the usual one. The objective of this study was to analyze the level of academic stress in university students of health sciences in the city of Valdivia (Chile) during the return to post-pandemic normality. 

Methods: A sample of 302 students from Medical Technology, Nursing, Medicine, Obstetrics, Kinesiology, Psychology, Occupational Therapy, and Dentistry. The SISCO inventory was virtually applied, which measures stress level, stressors, symptoms, and coping strategies. 

Results: 100 % of the students experienced some degree of academic stress, with those who identified as women (100 %) and another gender (100 %) being greater. The most frequent stressors were taking an exam (96.1 %), overload of tasks and work (91.1 %), and level of demand from my teachers (85.7 %). The most frequent stressors were drowsiness or greater need to sleep (91.4-%), chronic fatigue (90.2 %), and reluctance to do schoolwork (88.7 %). The most common coping strategies were listening to music or distracting oneself by watching television (90.7 %), concentrating on solving the situation that causes worry (81.1 %), and assertive ability (71.6 %). 

Conclusions: The return to normality after Covid was presented with high academic stress in the students of the Faculty of Medicine, being higher in women and in those who identified as “another gender.” 

Author Biographies

Mauricio Lorca Navarro, Universidad Austral de Chile

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Esperanza Araya Orellana, Universidad San Sebastián, Chile

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Valentina Dabove Rybertt, Universidad Austral de Chile

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Ricardo Arteaga San Martín, Universidad Austral de Chile

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Vanessa Bouquillard Escalona, Universidad Austral de Chile

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Published

2024-12-17

How to Cite

Lorca Navarro, M., Araya Orellana, E., Dabove Rybertt, V., Arteaga San Martín, R. ., & Bouquillard Escalona, V. (2024). Stress in university students of health careers: Impact of the return to in-person education post pandemic by Covid-19 . Salud Uninorte, 40(3), 759–772. https://doi.org/10.14482/sun.40.03.025.002

Issue

Section

Original Article