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Prevalence of Anxiety and Burnout, and Coping Mechanisms among Clinical Year Medical Undergraduate Students in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author

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  • Ke Ran Tee

    (Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia)

  • Abdul Samat Ismail

    (Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia)

  • Yong Heng Ang

    (Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia)

  • Hidayah Husna Hishamuddin

    (Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia)

  • Vinneeshah Jacob Paul

    (Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia)

  • Azimatun Noor Aizuddin

    (Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia)

  • Ida Zarina Zaini

    (Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia)

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of anxiety and burnout, and the coping mechanisms among clinical year undergraduate medical students in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In total, 378 clinical year undergraduate medical students in UKM participated in this cross-sectional study from May to July 2021. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of questions on the participant’s sociodemographic data and items from the DASS-21, CBI, and Brief-COPE was distributed. Chi-square and Spearman’s correlation tests were used to calculate the correlation coefficient between both anxiety and burnout, and coping mechanisms. The prevalence of anxiety and burnout were 44.2% and 22.2%, respectively. There was a significant difference in the percentage of students with extremely severe anxiety in the presence and absence of burnout, 23.8% vs. 4.8% ( p < 0.001). Among the three coping mechanisms, avoidant coping had a significant positive moderate correlation with both the presence of anxiety ( r = 0.3966, p < 0.001) and the presence of burnout ( r = 0.341, p < 0.001). Meanwhile, coping that was neither approach nor avoidant had a positive weak correlation with the presence of burnout ( r = 0.176, p = 0.001). The prevalence of anxiety and burnout was concerning. Increased anxiety and burnout among students may negatively impact aspects of their personal, professional, and academic lives. Early recognition and preventive measures should be emphasised to prevent negative ramifications.

Suggested Citation

  • Ke Ran Tee & Abdul Samat Ismail & Yong Heng Ang & Hidayah Husna Hishamuddin & Vinneeshah Jacob Paul & Azimatun Noor Aizuddin & Ida Zarina Zaini, 2022. "Prevalence of Anxiety and Burnout, and Coping Mechanisms among Clinical Year Medical Undergraduate Students in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-14, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:20:p:13010-:d:938696
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Bentham Liang Sen Teh & Jin Kiat Ang & Eugene Boon Yau Koh & Nicholas Tze Ping Pang, 2023. "Psychological Resilience and Coping Strategies with Anxiety among Malaysian Medical Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-16, January.
    2. Nur Iwana Abdul Taib & Nik Ruzyanei Nik Jaafar & Nazirah Azman & Mohammad Farris Iman Leong Bin Abdullah & Nurul Ain Mohamad Kamal & Azlin Baharudin & Muhammad Najib Bin Abdullah & Suresh Kumar Chidam, 2023. "Stigma, Sociodemographic Factors, and Clinical Factors Associated with Psychological Distress among COVID-19 Survivors during the Convalescence Period: A Multi-Centre Study in Malaysia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-13, February.

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