Psychological Distress and Coping Strategies among Postgraduate Medical Students: Implications for Mental Health Rehabilitation and Workforce Wellbeing
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69980/ajpr.v29i1.820Keywords:
psychological distress, DASS-21, Brief COPE, residency training, coping mechanisms, psychiatric rehabilitation, workforce wellness, postgraduate medical trainees.Abstract
Residency training exposes medical trainees to prolonged work hours, academic pressure and emotionally demanding clinical situations. These stressors contribute to psychological distress, potentially affecting patient safety and long-term workforce sustainability. This cross-sectional study assessed the prevalence of psychological distress among postgraduate (PG) medical students using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), evaluated coping strategies using the Brief COPE questionnaire and examined associations between stress and coping patterns from a psychiatric rehabilitation perspective.
Methods: A total of 430 PG medical trainees from three medical colleges of India completed a structured online questionnaire including demographic details, DASS-21 and Brief COPE questionnaire. Scores were computed as per standardized guidelines. Subgroup differences across specialty (clinical vs non-clinical), year of training and institutional site were evaluated. Correlations between stress and coping patterns were analyzed to explore adaptive and maladaptive psychological responses.
Results: Clinical specialties demonstrated significantly higher stress scores compared to non-clinical specialties (Mean=29.8 vs 21.4). First-year residents reported the highest distress, primarily associated with long duty hours (75–100 hours/week) and reduced autonomy. Active and support-seeking coping strategies predominated, while religious coping showed modest positive correlation with stress (r=.15). Avoidant coping remained low. Minimal institutional variation suggested systemic stressors across training environments.
Conclusions: PG trainees experience considerable distress, most evident during early residency and across high-intensity clinical specialties. While adaptive coping is prevalent, elevated stress highlights the need for structured mental health rehabilitation strategies, duty-hour reforms and resilience-building interventions. Findings emphasize occupational mental health as a critical component of healthcare workforce sustainability.
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