Improvement in Academic Performance of Undergraduate Dentistry Students after Learning Stress Coping Skills

Improvement in academic performance after learning stress coping skills

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of learning stress coping skills in improving academic performance and reducing anxiety levels amongst undergraduate students of dentistry. Methods: 43 students received a pre-validated module on stress coping skills. The module consisted of 13 units, a total duration of 24 hours consisting of topics related to stress, coping skills and relaxation techniques. 41 students were in the control group without any special training. Results: In training group majority of students reported normal (58.1%) or minimal to moderate anxiety (27.9%) in contrast the control group students 39% students reported most extreme anxiety as measured by Zung anxiety self-assessment tool, and Coping as measured by “Ways of coping scale by Folkman and Lazarusâ€. Significantly more number of students in the training group reported lower levels of exam related stress, better coping ability, higher satisfaction about performance in exam compared to control group. Blinded faculty assessment of student performance, students stress levels and students coping ability showed that trained students had significantly higher ratings compared to control group. Students who underwent stress control program showed better academic performance in written assessment examination as well as practical assessment. Conclusions: Training program helped the students in having less stress, better coping skills and superior academic performance