Journal of Medical Sciences and Health (Jul 2021)

Association of “Big Five” Personality with Perceived Stress in Medical Postgraduates: A Cross-sectional Study

  • J. Shivanand Manohar,
  • Raj Kiran Donthu,
  • K. R. Syam,
  • M. Kishor,
  • Keshava Pai

DOI
https://doi.org/10.46347/jmsh.2021.v07i01.008
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 1
pp. 43 – 51

Abstract

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Background: Medical postgraduates are exposed to more time in patient care and thereby higher stress. Personality is one of the important factors associated with stress. Studies exist in profiling personality traits and also assessing stress in medical professionals. However, in India, to the best of our knowledge, there are only few studies linking personality traits with stress in different branches of medicine. Aim : The aim of the study was to study the association between big five personality traits and stress among medical postgraduates. Setting and Design This was a cross-sectional study in medical college. Materials and MethodsBig five inventory, perceived stress scale 14. Statistical Analysis Used Chi-square, t-test, analysis of variance, correlation. Results Personality pattern among postgraduates were low on openness (P = 0.000), neuroticism (P = 0.001), and high agreeableness (P = 0.007) compared to general population. Among the different branches pre-paraclinical branches have low openness (P = 0.004), medical branches have high agreeableness (P = 0.000), low openness (P = 0.000), surgical branches have low openness (P = 0.004), and neuroticism (P = 0.003). Married students have high neuroticism (P = 0.007). Perceived stress is high in all variables compared to general population. Among different subjects of medical sciences, it is significantly high in pre-paraclinical (P = 0.001) and clinical branches (P = 0.001). Negative correlation exists between conscientiousness (r = −0.233, P = 0.025), extraversion (r = −0.204, P = 0.050), and positive correlation between neuroticism (r = +0.607, P = 0.000) with perceived stress. Conclusions:Medical postgraduates have low openness, neuroticism, and high agreeableness. Perceived stress is high in medical postgraduates in all demographic variables compared to the general population.

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