An Assessment of Stress and Coping Strategies Among Pharmacy Students of Knust and its Relation to Academic Performances

Background: Pharmacy students often experience varying stress levels due to the demanding nature of their academic program. Understanding the relationship between stress, coping mechanisms, and academic performance is important to support student well-being and success. Several key sources of stress for pharmacy students have been identified, including academic demands such as exams and maintaining high grades, financial concerns, time management issues, and personal factors such as homesickness. Pharmacy students use a variety of coping strategies, including both adaptive (such as time management, exercise, and social support) and maladaptive (such as emotional eating and substance use) methods. The year of study was found to contribute to perceived stress levels. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate pharmacy students at KNUST. Informed consent and the objectives were outlined to every participant before they took part in the study. To maintain anonymity, names were excluded. The questionnaire adapted the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) developed by Cohen and colleagues, the Brief COPE scale, and other literature sources. These were used to measure the degree of stress, factors causing stress, the effect of stress on academic performance, and different coping strategies students use to manage stress. Results: Majority (55 %) of pharmacy students regularly experience stress during their undergraduate training. The causes of stress ranged from academic, social, to financial. The most frequent causes of stress were academic-related, which included academic performance, workload of assignments, and tests, which was found to be highest in level 600 and then between level 200 and level 400. Financial-related factors were the second contributor to stress among students. Most of the students used a combination of coping strategies such as the use of alcohol and other drugs, meditation, sleep, regular meetings and social interactions with friends to manage their stress. Conclusion: A Significant number of pharmacy students at KNUST experience stress, mainly related to their academic performance, workloads, and financial challenges. To cope with these stressors, most students adapt a combination of strategies including adequate sleep, consumption of alcohol or other substances, meditation, watching movies, and regular social interaction with friends. It is essential to implement effective psychological support programs, stress prevention and management programs that cater to the needs of the students, aiming to enhance both their academic performance and psychosocial well-being. Further research should explore the connection between stress and academic performance, as well as the students' overall quality of life.