Publication Type: Abstract
Abstract: Objectives: Examine Pharm.D. students’ Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) and relationships among stress, coping skills, and academic performance at UCSD School of Pharmacy. Methods: Pharmacy students completed the SF-36, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Brief COPE and demographic questions each quarter of 2004/05 (comparison group of UCSD graduate students completed winter quarter). GPA’s were obtained for pharmacy students. ANOVA, chi-square, pearson product moment correlations were conducted (alpha=0.05). Results: 68% of available students (n=65) responded; CurriculumYear1 (CY1 n=24 (74% class)), CY2 (n=12 (48% class)), CY3 (n=17 (74% class)), non-Rx students (n=12 (70% class)). Demographics were similar across groups; 67% female and mean age of 24.6 (SD=2.14). The mean (norm based) physical summary score (56.35) was similar across groups and to the age adjusted US population norm (53.57). The mean mental summary score for pharmacy students (39.38 (CY2 lowest at 34.78)) was lower than the non-Rx comparison group (46.18) and US norm (49.20). Vitality, social function and mental health scores were lower for pharmacy students (p=0.04, 0.05, 0.02) and associated with higher stress levels (r=-0.68,-0.70,-0.81) with CY2 consistently reporting lowest scores. Higher stress levels were associated with maladaptive coping strategies (r=0.66) and weakly correlated with GPA (r = 0.17). Conclusions: First year results reveal pharmacy students had lower vitality, social function and mental health scores than US norms and a comparative group of graduate students. Lower HRQOL was related to higher stress and use of maladaptive coping strategies. More robust analyses will be possible as class size increases in 2005 (60 students).