Avaliação do estresse e das habilidades sociais na experiência acadêmica de estudantes de medicina de uma universidade do Rio de Janeiro

Studies done in several countries have show that medical students are exposed to many situations that cause stress. The student’s lack of preparation to deal with these situations can have important repercussions in regard to his/her performance, health and psychological and social well-being. Besides this, research has shown that deficiencies in social skills can contribute to the development of stress. This study evaluated sources of stress that exist within the medical course, as well as the relation between the levels of stress and social skills of the students. The sample consisted of 178 students (105 women and 73 men) from the first to the sixth level of medicine. The questionnaire to evaluate stressors, the Stress Symptom Inventory compiled by Lipp (ISSL) and Social Skills Inventory (IHS), revealed 7 sources of stress most quoted by the students. Besides this, the majority of the students are in a phase of resistance to stress. Deficiency in social skills is related to stress in this population and this is one more factor added to other sources of stress. It was concluded that the academic experience of this sample favors stress and to which low levels of social skills is related. The results obtained in this study can be used to elaborate projects which give psychological support to medical students and improvement to their academic development as well. It is suggested that this research be reproduced in other schools of Medicine so as to make possible a comparison between the obtained results, that will confirm, add or even oppose to the results of this study. Keywords: stress in students of medicine; social skills; academic stress.