Trait anxiety and coping in first year medical students

In the present study, we highlight the types of anxiety and the coping strategies employed by the students at the Medicine, Pharmacy and Nursing Faculties, at the same time comparing them with the general population. This research involved 333 first year students, 18-20 years of age. We used the Endler Multidimensional Anxiety Scales-Trait (EMAS-T) and Social Anxiety Scale-Trait (SAS-T) and two coping measuring instruments, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) and Strategic Approach to Coping Scale (SACS). We obtained an overview on the hierarchy of the types of anxiogenic situations for the study participants, by gender and specialization. We analyzed and discussed the correlations between anxiety and coping and we discussed the results of the factor analysis. We noticed the students' predilection for maladaptive coping mechanisms and how anxiety relates to their professional choice.