title: Managing pre-examination stress through remote counselling using a session script from a 'sentinel subject'.
abstract: Twenty-five members of a class of 45 medical students preparing for final examinations were voluntary participants in a pre-examination stress-control exercise conducted four weeks before the start of examinations. The students completed short questionnaires before and after reading the typewritten script of a counselling session of a member of their class (the sentinel subject). In the pre-script questionnaires, 50% of the men and 35% of the women reported a high level of stress. On the post-script questionnaire, 68% identified with the subject being counselled. Only four persons (16%) reported a reduction in stress after reading the script and one person recorded an increase in stress. Seventy-two per cent of respondents (40% of students) indicated that they would use counselling services if they were available. The present study suggests that some form of counselling could be usefully included in distance education modules. The provision of counselling services before examinations may prevent failure. The remote approach by sentinel subject script is an inexpensive method of providing such a service.
authors.affiliation: University of the West Indies School of Clinical Medicine and Research, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Barbados. lowelllewis@hotmail.com
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Walters
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Griffith
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012063:Relaxation; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000592:standards*; D012650:Self Disclosure; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000628:therapy*; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome