Perception of stress in Veterinary Medicine students

Preliminary study

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to identify the main symptoms of stress perceived by students of an anatomy group in Veterinary Medicine school at the University of La Salle in Bogotá, Colombia, during the year 2018. For this, 97 students were surveyed, and the responses were estimated on a 5-point Likert scale. Subsequently, the results of each question were classified as: normal, moderate and severe stress. The results showed that the greatest symptoms of stress are found in women, while the symptoms found more frequently match with those reported in the adolescent population, such as changes in appetite, cold sweat, tingling sensation, tachycardia and stomach discomfort. Emotional manifestations include feelings of irritability, fear, worry, anxiety, overwhelm, apathy, sleep, and indifference. The findings show that a substantial proportion of the students surveyed perceive symptoms of stress and anxiety at different levels. The prevalence of symptoms of severe depression found exceeds that reported nationally and internationally, while moderate depression occurs within the internationally described ranges.