Educational stress and somatoform autonomic dysfunction among the first year medical students

Author(s):  V.V. Ruzhenkova, Belgorod National Research University, Belgorod, Russia

V.A. Ruzhenkov, Belgorod National Research University, Belgorod, Russia, ruzhenkov@bsu.edu.ru

I.Ju. Shkileva, Belgorod National Research University, Belgorod, Russia

E.V. Sheljakina, Belgorod National Research University, Belgorod, Russia

Ju.N. Gomeljak, Belgorod National Research University, Belgorod, Russia

Issue:  Volume 40, №26

Rubric:  Clinical Medicine

Annotation:  A sample of 166 Russian-speaking first-year students aged 17 to 22 (18.0 ± 0.9) years: 38 (22.9%) male and 128 (77.1%) female were examined using the screening and psychometric methods. It was found that the a «large training load», «lack of textbooks», «living far away from parents», «difficulties in organizing the regime of the day», as well as «irregular meals» were the most significant factors of educational stress. Somatoform autonomic dysfunction (SAD) was diagnosed in 12.6% of cases. It is polymorphic, includes symptoms from the cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive systems and, more rarely, urinary system. The symptoms of SAD formed on the base severe asthenia in combination with anxiety, obsessions, dysmorphophobia, agoraphobia and panic disorders. In situations of psychoemotional stress, there were individual conversion symptoms. The academical stress and low level of conflict- resistance and stressresistance contribute to smoking, drinking alcohol, taking sedative medicines, communicating on the Internet, which can be a risk factor for the formation of addictive behavior. A high ratio of suicidal behavior was found among students with SVD: 57% cases in the anamnesis (52% - internal forms and 5% - suicidal attempts and 9.5% through the research period. The strategy and tactics of increasing the student's stress-resistance and reducing the risk of addictive and suicidal behavior are discussed

Keywords:  educational stress, medical students, somatoform vegetative dysfunction, suicidal behavior, stress-management

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