Radiography students' experiences of stress and their methods of coping at the college of health science, Makerere university.

Abstract

Introduction: Stress occurs when an individual is confronted with a situation that is perceived as overwhelming. Too much stress may lead to mental and physical health problems which may affect academic excellence and a risk of premature death. Coping plays a central role in adaptation to stressful life events. This study was conducted to identify the source of stress the radiography students at Makerere College of health sciences experience during their course of study and their methods of coping. Methods: A descriptive non-experimental survey research design using a demographic, stress survey and a standardized coping questionnaire among 40 radiography students from year one to year four. Results; Of the 40 radiography students sampled, 40% of the samples were female and 60% were males. 90% of students belong to the age group of 18–25 years. The highest percentage of radiography students with stressors were the year three students with academic (81.6%), personal (54.8%) and university related stressors (68.3%). This was followed by second year students: academic (65.3%), personal (66.3%) and university related stressors (65.1%). then by year fours and lastly the year ones. Overall, emotion-focused coping was utilized more frequently by students on average (52.8%) as compared to problem-focused coping (51.6%). Conclusion; The study highlights various sources of stress and strategies of coping among radiography students at Makerere college of health sciences. This information may help future studies about stress and in reducing stress through wellness and support programs .