WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

*Huda Abdulkareem Abdulsamed Almuqdadi, Reem Jameel Hasan Alhaidary, Reem Zeki Mohammed

ABSTRACT

Background: Medical education is widely recognized as a demanding and stressful process that can adversely affect students’ well-being, leading to poor quality of life (QoL), unhealthy behaviors, and psychological distress, which may ultimately impair their future patient care. This study aimed to assess the quality of life and stress levels among medical students at Baghdad Medical College, explore the correlation between them, identify symptoms and coping mechanisms associated with stress, and determine obstacles that could guide interventions to improve student well-being. Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 500 medical students using a structured questionnaire incorporating the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) scale and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Results: The majority of participants were aged 20–23 years (54.2%) and male (53.8%). The mean PSS-10 score was 18.5 ± 4.6, indicating that 85% of students experienced moderate stress. The highest QoL domain score was for physical health (61.7 ± 13.7), followed by environmental (53.0 ± 15.4), psychological (49.0 ± 16.3), and social relationships (46.2 ± 10.9). Fear of failure (30.4%) and sleep disturbance (28.2%) were the predominant stressors and symptoms, respectively, while prayer was the most common coping mechanism (24.4%). A significant inverse correlation was observed between stress levels and QoL across all domains. Conclusion: The findings highlight the need for targeted support systems and stress management programs to enhance the well-being and academic performance of medical students.