title: Causes of stress and coping strategies adopted by undergraduate health professions students in a university in the United arab emirates.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to compare causes of stress and coping strategies adopted by a sample of undergraduate health-profession students at the Gulf Medical University, United Arab Emirates.
  
  
  METHODS
  An anonymous voluntary questionnaire-based survey was conducted, from January to July 2011, among first- and second-year medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and physiotherapy students (N = 212) to identify causes of stress. Coping strategies were studied using the Brief COPE Inventory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Worries regarding the future (54.2%) and parental expectations (40.1%) were the major stressors. Poor diet (36.8%) and a lack of exercise (36.3%) were also reported to cause stress. Students used multiple strategies, mainly religion/praying (74.5%), planning (70.5%) and taking action (70.5%) to cope with stress. There were no significant differences observed in the stressors or coping strategies between genders or programmes. First-year students (62.5%) relied on emotional support significantly more (P <0.05) than second-year students (48.5%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The main causes of stress were worries regarding future and parental expectations. The majority of the students used positive coping strategies, with religion/praying found to be the most frequently used strategy.
authors: Department of Biochemistry, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates.
authors: Kadayam G
authors: KG
authors: Gomathi
authors: Soofia
authors: S
authors: Ahmed
authors: Jayadevan
authors: J
authors: Sreedharan
keywords: Coping Behavior; Health Professions; Medical Education, undergraduate; Stress, Psychological; United Arab Emirates
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