Coping with academic stress in students of Medical Sciences.

Abstract

Introduction: the term stress, one of the most currently used by different health professionals, was introduced in 1926 by the Canadian doctor Hans Selye, who defined it as the body's general response to any stressor stimulus. Stress is one of the problems that most affects the physical and mental health of students, particularly in the Medicine career, where the study is characterized by a constant and growing academic demand that demands adaptation efforts from the student. Objective: to assess the stress coping strategies that can be used by students of Medical Sciences. Method: a bibliographic review was carried out, using the resources available in the Infomed network, among which we can mention: SciELO and Ebesco, through the databases: Medline, Academic Search Premier and Medic Latina. Searches were conducted in English and Spanish. The Google Scholar search engine was used. The quality, reliability and methodological validity of the selected articles were analyzed to carry out an adequate review and current trends in the subject were assessed. Results: task overload, the type of work required, evaluations and exams are considered the main stressors in students, probably due to the decrease in time to carry out other activities of a family and social nature. There are various ways of coping with stress in Medical Sciences students, among them the following stand out: setting goals and priorities, managing time well, having an optimistic attitude and being systematic in studying. In addition to the Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation method.