Pre-Exam Anxiety and Self-Medication in Medical Students

Abstract

 Introduction: Exam anxiety is characterized by feelings of fear and helplessness during the preparation or taking of a written or oral exam. Self-medication involves the use of any type of medication 
without consulting a healthcare professional. In order to suppress symptoms, students can resort to the use of both medical and non-medical products. 

Aim: The aim of the study is to examine the level of pre-exam anxiety, as well as which factors and in what way affect the level of pre-exam anxiety. We also examine the frequency of self-medication use in the students. 

Materials and Methods: A descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted at the Faculty of Medicine, Novi Sad, in the period from June to September 2024. The study included 339 students, aged 19 to 30. A questionnaire consisting of 3 parts was used: a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and an assessment of self-medication habits. All obtained data were entered into the Microsoft Excel 2016 program and statistically processed using the Student t-test, the chi-square test, and Point-biserial correlation. 

Results: A statistically significant difference was observed between the intensity of anxiety and the use of self-medication, as well as the gender of the student. No statistically significant difference was observed between the use of self-medication and categorical variables.

 
Conclusion: Female students show a higher level of anxiety. Students who use self-medication show a higher level of anxiety. Higher levels of anxiety are associated with greater use of self-medication.