Abstract
BACKGROUND: Medical education is perceived as being stressful with negative effects on students' mental health. However, few studies have addressed the influence of gender on stress in medical students. AIM: To compare male and female medical students in Egypt on sources of stress, perception of stress, anxiety, depression, physical symptomatology, and personality profile. METHODS: Data were collected through an anonymous self-administered questionnaire covering socio-demographic data, stressors, perceived stress scale, physical wellbeing factors, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale as well as neuroticism and extraversion subscales of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. RESULTS: Stressors were reported by 94.5% of the total sample with equal gender proportions. Univariate analysis indicated that female students scored higher than males on depression and neuroticism scales while male and female medical students were similar on level of perceived stress, number of stressors, clinical anxiety, physical well-being factors and the extraversion scale. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that the independent predictors of a high stress level were the presence of more than five stressors, clinical anxiety and depression, and increased scores on the global sickness index and on the extraversion and neuroticism sub-scales. CONCLUSION: Despite there being no significant difference in perceived stress according to gender, females were less likely to cite relationship problems with teachers and substance abuse as sources of stress. Moreover, females scored significantly higher than males on depression and neuroticism scales.