Abstract Issue

Volume 14 Issue 2 (February) 2025

Original Articles

Assessment of spiritual health and its relation with perceived stress among medical students- A cross-sectional study
Dr.Sneh Smriti, Dr.Shweta Shalini, Dr.Rafat Perveen

Background: Spirituality and spiritual health are an integral component of an individual’s health and wellbeing. Among medical undergraduates and professionals, spiritual health has positive effects on the individual by decreasing burnout, psychological distress, and rates of substance abuse.This study aimed to assess the level of spiritual health and its association with perceived stress among medical students. Given the demanding nature of medical education, understanding the impact of spiritual well-being on stress levels could provide valuable insights into student mental health and coping mechanisms. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 medical students using a convenient sampling method. Inclusion criteria comprised students currently enrolled in the program, willing to participate voluntarily, and proficient in English. Exclusion criteria included students with known psychiatric illnesses or those undergoing stress-related treatment. Data collection was done through a structured, self-administered questionnaire, including demographic details, the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS) for assessing spiritual health, and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) for evaluating stress levels. Data were analyzed using SPSS software, applying descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation coefficient to assess relationships between variables, with a significance level set at p < 0.05. Results: The study included 100 students (45% males, 55% females) with a mean age of 22.5 years (±2.1). The majority (50%) exhibited moderate spiritual health, while 20% had high and 10% very high levels. Perceived stress levels were highest in 20% of students who reported high stress, while 10% experienced very high stress. Female students had significantly higher stress levels (19.5 ± 4.7) and spiritual health scores (67.3 ± 9.8) than males (17.2 ± 4.3, 64.8 ± 10.5), with p-values of 0.000. Clinical students had slightly higher spiritual health scores (68.9 ± 10.2) and lower stress (16.8 ± 3.9) than pre-clinical students (62.4 ± 9.7, 20.1 ± 4.6), though these differences were not statistically significant. Multiple regression analysis confirmed that spiritual health was a strong predictor of perceived stress (B = -0.406, p = 0.000), alongside gender and academic year. Conclusion: This study highlights a significant inverse relationship between spiritual health and perceived stress among medical students, suggesting that higher spiritual well-being is associated with lower stress levels. Female students reported higher stress and spiritual health scores than males. Clinical students exhibited slightly better spiritual health and lower stress than pre-clinical students, though differences were not significant. These findings suggest that incorporating spiritual health interventions into medical education could help students develop effective coping strategies and improve their overall well-being.

 
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