General Anxiety, Academic Distress and Family Distress Among PharmD Students

Objective. To examine the prevalence of general anxiety (GA) among the pharmacy students and the role of academic distress and family distress. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among first, second, and third year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students. All students received an online survey consisting of the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms-62 (CCAPS-62) questionnaire and sample characteristics. Variables from CCAPS-62 considered in this study included the GA, academic distress (AD) and, family distress (FD) measured on a three-level scale namely, no, low, and high clinical level. Data on gender, race, work status and physical activity were also collected. Descriptive and multinomial logistic regression were conducted to identify factors associated with GA. Results. Of the 238 students who took the online survey (63% response rate), the majority were female (67%) and Asian (49%). Overall, 69 first year, 75 second year and 94 third year students participated. The prevalence of GA was 50% with equal distribution (25% each) among high-clinical and low-clinical GA groups. High AD and high FD was associated with a greater probability of high GA. Conclusion. GA was quite prevalent among pharmacy students. Identification and implementation of strategies to lower GA as well as AD is of great importance. Also, understanding and enhancing the family members’ role in students’ lives is essential. College administrators can provide support for students as well as for family members to make improvements in these areas.