Introduction:

Post-pandemic academic recovery may have influenced stress levels among medical students.

Objective:

To characterize stress due to academic recovery among medical students at the National University of Asunción, Paraguay, 2022-2023.

Methodology:

Observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, temporally prospective study conducted from March to November 2024 on students who underwent the post-pandemic academic recovery period from 2022 to 2023. The sampling type was non-probabilistic convenience sampling. The data collection instrument was a questionnaire from the 2007 version of Barraza Systemic Cognitivist Inventory (SISCO) for academic stress. The variables were sociodemographic, stressors, and physical, psychological, and behavioral symptoms. The study was approved by the institutional Ethics Committee.

Results:

Two hundred twenty-two students were surveyed, 63.96% of whom were women, with a mean age of 22 years. The most frequent stressors were excessive personal responsibility for fulfilling school obligations (almost always in 39.64%) and overload of school tasks and assignments (almost always in 38.29%). The symptoms were concentration problems (“almost always” in 34.23%) and absenteeism in classes (“occasional” in 38.01%). Except for sleep disorders, most of the other symptoms were present in male students. The largest gender gap existed in terms of the personality and character of the teacher (male 16%, female 84%).

Conclusions:

The need to implement support and stress management strategies in the university environment is highlighted, especially in periods of high pressure such as the post-pandemic academic recovery process.

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