Perceived Stress Levels and Stress Management Among

Paramedical Students Lyceum of the Philippines

University: Towards Stress Management
Enhancement

Maribel M. Barrion, D.D.M., M.A.T.

Faculty/Department Chair, College of Dentistry
Lyceum of the Philippines University
Batangas
 Introduction
According to Flach (2003), A 'stress'
condition seems 'relative' in nature.
Extreme stress conditions, psychologists
say, are detrimental to human health but
in moderation, stress is normal and, in
many cases, proves useful.
Stress, nonetheless, is synonymous
with negative conditions. Today, with the
rapid diversification of human activity, we
come face to face with numerous causes
of stress and the symptoms of stress and
depression.
 It is an interaction between the
person and their (work) environment
and is the awareness of not being able
to cope with the demands of one’s
environment, when this realization is of
concern to the person, in that both are
associated with a negative emotional
response.
The researcher believes that
paramedical courses are very stressful
in nature. Students had difficulties in
handling stressful situations like
examinations and doing clinical and
subject requirements.
 Thus, the researcher had an idea of
conducting this research to investigate the
paramedical student’s perceptions of stress in
relation to their everyday experiences and
psychological well-being.
Furthermore, the researcher believed
that this study will be significant to the faculty
members and clinical instructors by providing
an insight in increasing the emphasis of stress
management in health education.
 Objective of the Problem
In the study, the research was anchored by
the following objectives:
1. To know the perceived major source(s) and
levels of stress among paramedical
students.
2. To determine stress management activities
as practiced by respondents.
3. To find out if there is a relationship
between the levels of stress and stress
management activities of the respondents.
4. To propose program that will enhance the
stress management activities of paramedical
students.
 Research Design
The study employed the descriptive
research design specifically the survey
method and content analysis.
The study involved paramedical
students of LPU during SY 2010-2011.
Using Slovin’s formula with 7% margin
of error, the profile of the respondents
were determined.
 Instruments
To identify the paramedical student’s
perception on stress in relation to their
everyday experiences and psychological well-
being, a modified version of the Dental
Environmental Stress questionnaire,
compiled by Westerman et al. (2003), was
used as the original template for the survey.
Westerman et al. had made revisions to
Garbee et al.’s original (1980) format to make
the survey suitable to their investigative
design.
 Statistical Analysis
The research questions, methods, and appropriate
statistical design for this study were: Pearson's r
correlation and descriptive statistics.
Pearson’s r correlation was used to know if there
was a relationship between the major sources of stress
and the levels of perceived stress among college
students. On the other hand, descriptive Statistics
included means, standard deviation, ranges and
percentage. These were used to determine the major
sources of stress the college students perceived and the
methods they actively participate in to reduce stress.
Results and Discussion

Course Year Level

AGE Gender
Sources of Stress Among Paramedical
Students

Lack of time for relaxation

Amount of assigned course work.

Difficulty of course work.

Examinations

Fear of failing course or year.

Weighted Mean
Level of Stress Among Paramedical
Students

Examinations

Fear of failing course or year.

Difficulty of course work.

Concerns about treatment grade

awarded.
. Differences in opinion between clinical
staff concerning treatments.

Weighted Mean
Stress Management Activities as
Practiced by Respondents

Talking with family, friends or other

supportive people.

Eating

Briefly tensing and then releasing each

portion of the body successively from
head to foot.
. Lying down or sitting in chairs with
eyes closed.

Hobbies or leisures (painting, listening

to music,

3-D Column 6

Weighted Mean
 Relationship Between Level of Stress and Stress
Management Activities of the Respondents

r-value p-value Decision Interpretation

Level of Stress
and Stress 0.056 0.443 Accept Not Significant
Management
Activities

The null hypothesis of no significant relationship between the

level of stress and stress management is accepted. This means
that there is no relationship exists between the treated variables.
It implies that the stress management practiced by the
respondents does not depend on the degree or level of stress
they experienced.
 Proposed
Area of Program
Objectives to Activities
Enhance Stress Management
Person/s Expected
Concern Involved Outcome
1. Emotional To measure the Role playing Faculty members
Intelligence(EI) student’s ability to Workshops Deans Students will be able
Assessment Program perceive emotions in Open forum/sharing Department Heads to conceptualized
self and others as of experiences Guidance Counsellor perceptions, appraisal
well in handling counselling Paramedical and expression of
relationships Students emotions, employing
emotional knowledge
and regulate
emotions.
2. Stress To know and Seminar and Lecturer/Resource Paramedical students
management Course understand the Workshops Speaker will be responsible in
different stress Aerobic exercises Faculty managing stress
management and meditation Paramedical properly.
relaxation Students
techniques.
3. Cognitive- To help the students Workshop Deans Students will be able
Behavioral Skill modify the appraisal Role playing Department Heads to determine whether
Training processes that to Lecture Guidance Counsellor the stimulus is
specific stimulus. Paramedical harmful and be able
Students to develop behavioral
skills for managing
the stressor.
 Area of Objectives Activities Person/s Expected
Concern Involved Outcome

4. Time and Life 1. To provide Lecture Resource Speaker The students will be
Management courses and Seminars/workshop Faculty Member able to set goals,
Course seminars that will s Paramedical identify their roles
train the students to Students and priorities, and
manage time and be good in decision-
life not limited only making.
to academic setting.
2. To involve
students in decision
making.

5. College To help students to Counselling Workshops

Colleges will
Counselling or manage stress. Interview
anticipate student’s
Health Services
stress and provide
Program more workshops on
coping skills.
 Conclusion
Based on the data analyses the following conclusions were drawn:
• 1. Sources of stress, or hassles that cause the most concern
for students are those that correspond to academic factors, decision
making, and time issues. The frequency and intensity of academic
demands are perceived to be high among respondents of the
survey.
• The study showed that paramedical students agreed that too
much assigned work and lack of time for relaxation made them
easily stressed. This implied that majority of paramedical students in
LPU don’t know how to manage time properly.
• 2. As the frequency and intensity of hassles or stressors increase,
levels of perceived individual stress also increase.
Based on the revealed data, paramedical student’s level of
stress was slightly stressful. It varies depending on the situation and
activities the respondents were dealing with.
• 3. The respondents occasionally managed stress in their daily living.
In a stressful condition, talking with family, friends and with God
through prayer made the respondents feel relaxed and comforted.

Recreational activities contributed much in reducing stress and

increases the level of the respondent’s relaxation.
• 4. No significant relationship exists, between the subgroups of the
demographic variables for the stress they feel, the things that cause
them to feel stressed and how they attempt to manage the stress
they experienced.
Paramedical students were given the opportunities to cope and
use a wide variety of measures to maximize stress and overcoming
those problems which create stress.
 Recommendations
1. Faculty members and clinical instructors should help the students
to identify their priorities by encouraging them to make a time table
or to set goals each semester to avoid delays in their subject
requirements.
2. Students must ultimately take greater responsibility for the stress
they experience and take active steps to reduce stress that does not
support them in their individual pursuits. Students should know the
different stress management techniques so that stress would not
really affect them physically, emotionally and intellectually.
3. For professionals involved in Health Education and Health
Promotion, the researcher suggests a more concerted effort to
involve ourselves in the discipline of stress management and
relaxation techniques. As promoters of health and wellness, we
must become aware of the many useful and practical methods
presently known to reduce stress.
THANK YOU…