Perceived Stress among First- and Sixth-Year Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Sociodemographic Correlations

Yusuf Çimenli; Cevdet Aydemir; Ceren Cengiz; Mehmet Kartal; Murat Encu; Gökçe Arslantaş; Sohaib Madi; Şeyma Boşnak; Saba Asadi; Enes Bahadır Kılıç; Yıldız Büyükdereli Atadağ

doi:10.62425/jmefm.1796162

Perceived Stress among First- and Sixth-Year Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Sociodemographic Correlations

Abstract

Objective: Medical education is a demanding and high-pressure process that can negatively affect students’ mental health. Stress is common among medical students, but its severity and determinants may vary across training phases. This study compared perceived stress between first- and sixth-year medical students and examined sociodemographic factors linked to higher levels of stress. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in February 2025 at the Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep University, Türkiye. A total of 227 students (143 in the first year and 84 in the sixth year) voluntarily completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Turkish version of the Perceived Medical School Stress Scale (PMSS-TR). The data were analyzed using independent t tests, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation. Results: Compared with first-year students, sixth-year students reported significantly higher stress levels (45.23±9.14 vs. 40.96±7.73, P<.001). Female sex, alcohol consumption, insufficient financial support, and prior academic failure were associated with increased stress. Smoking was weakly associated, whereas social activity participation was not significant. Age (r=.204, P=.002) and years of high school education (r= –.255, P<.001) were weakly correlated with stress. Conclusions: Perceived stress appears to increase substantially in the later stages of medical education and is shaped by sociodemographic and behavioral factors. These findings highlight the potential value of targeted support strategies, including mentorship, financial support, and regular stress monitoring.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Ethical Statement

Ethics Committee approval was obtained from Gaziantep University (Approval No: 2024/438, Date: 20 December 2024). The ethical principles stated in the latest revision of the Declaration of Helsinki and good clinical practice standards were applied.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Medical Education

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Yusuf Çimenli
0009-0003-8413-3694
Türkiye

Cevdet Aydemir
0009-0006-3894-3209
Türkiye

Ceren Cengiz
0009-0001-3956-6947
Türkiye

Mehmet Kartal
0009-0000-4645-1905
Türkiye

Murat Encu
0009-0006-6153-3507
Türkiye

Gökçe Arslantaş
0009-0009-0639-8367
Türkiye

Sohaib Madi
0009-0004-2907-4203
Türkiye

Şeyma Boşnak
0009-0009-6534-1811
Türkiye

Saba Asadi
0009-0009-8268-0794
Türkiye

Enes Bahadır Kılıç
0000-0003-1232-5016
Türkiye

Yıldız Büyükdereli Atadağ ^*
0000-0002-8516-6477
Türkiye

Publication Date

April 30, 2026

Submission Date

October 3, 2025

Acceptance Date

April 21, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 3 Number: 1

DOI

https://doi.org/10.62425/jmefm.1796162

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA48AJ39YW

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Çimenli, Y., Aydemir, C., Cengiz, C., Kartal, M., Encu, M., Arslantaş, G., Madi, S., Boşnak, Ş., Asadi, S., Kılıç, E. B., & Büyükdereli Atadağ, Y. (2026). Perceived Stress among First- and Sixth-Year Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Sociodemographic Correlations. Journal of Medical Education and Family Medicine, 3(1), 23-30. https://doi.org/10.62425/jmefm.1796162

AMA

1.Çimenli Y, Aydemir C, Cengiz C, et al. Perceived Stress among First- and Sixth-Year Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Sociodemographic Correlations. J Med Educ Family Med. 2026;3(1):23-30. doi:10.62425/jmefm.1796162

Chicago

Çimenli, Yusuf, Cevdet Aydemir, Ceren Cengiz, et al. 2026. “Perceived Stress Among First- and Sixth-Year Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Sociodemographic Correlations”. Journal of Medical Education and Family Medicine 3 (1): 23-30. https://doi.org/10.62425/jmefm.1796162.

EndNote

Çimenli Y, Aydemir C, Cengiz C, Kartal M, Encu M, Arslantaş G, Madi S, Boşnak Ş, Asadi S, Kılıç EB, Büyükdereli Atadağ Y (April 1, 2026) Perceived Stress among First- and Sixth-Year Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Sociodemographic Correlations. Journal of Medical Education and Family Medicine 3 1 23–30.

IEEE

[1]Y. Çimenli et al., “Perceived Stress among First- and Sixth-Year Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Sociodemographic Correlations”, J Med Educ Family Med, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 23–30, Apr. 2026, doi: 10.62425/jmefm.1796162.

ISNAD

Çimenli, Yusuf - Aydemir, Cevdet - Cengiz, Ceren - Kartal, Mehmet - Encu, Murat - Arslantaş, Gökçe - Madi, Sohaib et al. “Perceived Stress Among First- and Sixth-Year Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Sociodemographic Correlations”. Journal of Medical Education and Family Medicine 3/1 (April 1, 2026): 23-30. https://doi.org/10.62425/jmefm.1796162.

JAMA

1.Çimenli Y, Aydemir C, Cengiz C, Kartal M, Encu M, Arslantaş G, Madi S, Boşnak Ş, Asadi S, Kılıç EB, Büyükdereli Atadağ Y. Perceived Stress among First- and Sixth-Year Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Sociodemographic Correlations. J Med Educ Family Med. 2026;3:23–30.

MLA

Çimenli, Yusuf, et al. “Perceived Stress Among First- and Sixth-Year Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Sociodemographic Correlations”. Journal of Medical Education and Family Medicine, vol. 3, no. 1, Apr. 2026, pp. 23-30, doi:10.62425/jmefm.1796162.

Vancouver

1.Yusuf Çimenli, Cevdet Aydemir, Ceren Cengiz, Mehmet Kartal, Murat Encu, Gökçe Arslantaş, Sohaib Madi, Şeyma Boşnak, Saba Asadi, Enes Bahadır Kılıç, Yıldız Büyükdereli Atadağ. Perceived Stress among First- and Sixth-Year Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Sociodemographic Correlations. J Med Educ Family Med. 2026 Apr. 1;3(1):23-30. doi:10.62425/jmefm.1796162