The relationship between anxiety levels, coping styles and behavioral patterns of medical students

Hülya Güç; Asena Ayça Özdemir; İbrahim Başhan

doi:10.17944/interdiscip.1739456

The relationship between anxiety levels, coping styles and behavioral patterns of medical students

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the association between anxiety levels and stress-coping strategies of preclinical medical students, based on their behavioral patterns. Method: This cross-sectional study involved 180 volunteer preclinical medical students. Data were obtained through the Demographic Form, Stress Coping Styles, Anxiety, and Behavioral Patterns Inventory. As the data were not normally distributed (the Shapiro–Wilk test), non-parametric analyses were used: Mann–Whitney U for two groups, Kruskal–Wallis for multiple groups, and Spearman’s correlation for associations. Reliability was tested with Cronbach’s alpha, and significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The mean age of 180 participants in this study was 20.34 ± 1.84 years. Pressures coping styles scale (SCSS) scores showed a weak positive correlation with the “Director” behavior pattern (r = 0.27; p = 0.047) and a weak negative (but statistically non-significant) correlation with the “Relater” pattern(r = -0.26; p = 0.055) in second-year medical students. A significant difference was found between the groups in terms of Submissive Approach (SA) scores (p = 0.040), with second-year students scoring higher than those of first-year students (p < 0.05). Similarly, the mean SCSS scores of second-year students were significantly higher than those of first-year students (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Examining the relationship between medical students’ anxiety levels and behavioral patterns is essential for improving medical education practices and strengthening students’ psychological resilience. Structured and directive behaviors may help reduce anxiety, while positive learning environments that consider individual differences can enhance academic and professional outcomes.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Family Medicine

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Hülya Güç ^*
0000-0001-6998-7497
Türkiye

Asena Ayça Özdemir
0000-0002-0108-1880
Türkiye

İbrahim Başhan
0000-0002-0034-2727
Türkiye

Publication Date

December 16, 2025

Submission Date

July 10, 2025

Acceptance Date

November 3, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 16 Number: 56

DOI

https://doi.org/10.17944/interdiscip.1739456

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA62UX97FH

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Güç, H., Özdemir, A. A., & Başhan, İ. (2025). The relationship between anxiety levels, coping styles and behavioral patterns of medical students. Interdisciplinary Medical Journal, 16(56), 183-192. https://doi.org/10.17944/interdiscip.1739456

AMA

1.Güç H, Özdemir AA, Başhan İ. The relationship between anxiety levels, coping styles and behavioral patterns of medical students. Interdiscip Med J. 2025;16(56):183-192. doi:10.17944/interdiscip.1739456

Chicago

Güç, Hülya, Asena Ayça Özdemir, and İbrahim Başhan. 2025. “The Relationship Between Anxiety Levels, Coping Styles and Behavioral Patterns of Medical Students”. Interdisciplinary Medical Journal 16 (56): 183-92. https://doi.org/10.17944/interdiscip.1739456.

EndNote

Güç H, Özdemir AA, Başhan İ (December 1, 2025) The relationship between anxiety levels, coping styles and behavioral patterns of medical students. Interdisciplinary Medical Journal 16 56 183–192.

IEEE

[1]H. Güç, A. A. Özdemir, and İ. Başhan, “The relationship between anxiety levels, coping styles and behavioral patterns of medical students”, Interdiscip Med J, vol. 16, no. 56, pp. 183–192, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.17944/interdiscip.1739456.

ISNAD

Güç, Hülya - Özdemir, Asena Ayça - Başhan, İbrahim. “The Relationship Between Anxiety Levels, Coping Styles and Behavioral Patterns of Medical Students”. Interdisciplinary Medical Journal 16/56 (December 1, 2025): 183-192. https://doi.org/10.17944/interdiscip.1739456.

JAMA

1.Güç H, Özdemir AA, Başhan İ. The relationship between anxiety levels, coping styles and behavioral patterns of medical students. Interdiscip Med J. 2025;16:183–192.

MLA

Güç, Hülya, et al. “The Relationship Between Anxiety Levels, Coping Styles and Behavioral Patterns of Medical Students”. Interdisciplinary Medical Journal, vol. 16, no. 56, Dec. 2025, pp. 183-92, doi:10.17944/interdiscip.1739456.

Vancouver

1.Hülya Güç, Asena Ayça Özdemir, İbrahim Başhan. The relationship between anxiety levels, coping styles and behavioral patterns of medical students. Interdiscip Med J. 2025 Dec. 1;16(56):183-92. doi:10.17944/interdiscip.1739456