Abstract:
The article is based on a study whose aim was to
investigate sources and levels of distress among medical
students at two newly established medical schools in
Zimbabwe. The study used a mixed methods approach
and a concurrent parallel design. A sample of 123
medical students, drawn from two newly established
medical schools in Zimbabwe, was used for the study.
The participants‘ ages ranged between 18 and 47 years.
The study used a structured questionnaire and face-to face interviews to collect data. Quantitative and
qualitative data were collected separately, analysed independently, and merged at the interpretation stage.
Numerical codes were used for the quantitative data. The
quantitative data were entered into the SPSS version 21
and analysed using regression analysis. The computed
quantitative data showed significant relationships
between personal life events and medical students‘
distress. The qualitative data were analysed thematically.
Personal life events were examined under the following
themes: death of a loved one and distress, pregnancy and
distress, a gain of a new member in the family, change in
the health of self or family member, and distress, and
marital separation and distress. The death of a loved one
was found to be the only significant factor affecting
medical students at the two newly established schools in
Zimbabwe.
Description:
The journal is a forum for the discussion of ideas,
scholarly opinions and case studies natural and physical science with a high proclivity to
multidisciplinary approaches. The journal is
produced bi-annually.
