TY - JOUR T1 - Medical students’ coping with stress and its predictors: a cross-sectional study AU - Cummerow, J. AU - Obst, K. AU - Voltmer, E. AU - Kötter, T. KW - coping skills KW - health promotion KW - medical school KW - medical students KW - PY - 2023/02/28 Y1 - 2023/02/04 VL - 14 N1 - doi: 10.5116/ijme.63de.3840 DO - 10.5116/ijme.63de.3840 M3 - doi: 10.5116/ijme.63de.3840 JO - Int J Med Educ SP - 11 EP - 18 PB - IJME SN - 2042-6372 UR - http://www.ijme.net/archive/14/predictors-of-medical-students-stress-coping/ L1 - http://www.ijme.net/archive/14/predictors-of-medical-students-stress-coping.pdf N2 - Objectives: To analyse stress coping styles of medical students at different time points of medical education and to identify predictors of functional coping. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students (N = 497, 361 women and 136 men) before year one (n = 141), after year one (n = 135) and after year five (n = 220). Students answered the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory, the Work-Related Behaviour and Experience Patterns, the Perceived Medical School Stress Instrument and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Multiple regression was used to examine factors associated with functional coping. Results: Single factor ANOVA indicated a significant difference for functional coping between the time points (F = 9.52, p < .01), with fifth-year students scoring significantly higher than students before or after year one. There was a significant difference in dysfunctional coping (F = 12.37, p < .01), with students before year one and after year five scoring higher than those after year one. Efficacy (β = 0.15, t = 4.66, p < .01), emotional distancing (β = 0.04, t = 3.50, p < .01) and satisfaction with life (β = 0.06, t = 4.87, p < .01) were positive predictors of functional coping. Conclusions: Scores for both functional and dysfunctional coping vary during medical education. The reasons for low coping scores after year one require further explanation. These findings represent a starting point for investigations into how to promote functional coping during early medical education. ER -