| dc.description.abstract | Medical students are a group of people who are usually inclined to develop anxiety disorders because of the relatively stressful environment and other various psychosocial challenges they encounter. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of psychosocial factors on Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) among undergraduate medical students. The following objectives guided the study: to investigate the influence of financial worries, academic pressure, stress coping strategies, and student-staff relationships on GAD among undergraduate medical students at Kenya Methodist University, Main campus, Meru. The Transactional Model of Stress and Coping and Self-Determination Theories informed this study. The researcher adopted a mixed-methods research design. The study targeted 1627 medical students. Stratified and simple random sampling was used to select 163 medical students from the Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB), pharmacy, clinical medicine, nursing, and medical laboratory. 10 staff members (chairpersons of the Department, university counselors, and medical lecturers) were chosen using a purposive and census sampling method. The data were gathered from staff members and undergraduate medical students using a semi-structured interview schedule and questionnaires, respectively. Tools were piloted at Mount Kenya University (MKU), Main Campus, Thika, to ascertain their validity and reliability among 17 medical students and staff members. Reliability was confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha, with all variables exceeding the acceptable threshold of 0.7: GAD (.873), academic pressure (.784), financial worries (.823), stress-coping mechanisms (.71), and student-staff relationships (.87). The quantitative data were analyzed using IBM Statistical Product and Service Solution (SPSS) Version 30. Descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (multiple linear regression) were used to analyze and make sense of quantitative data. Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. The overall response rate was 80.36%. Results showed that academic pressure (β = .265, p = .003) and financial worries (β = .297, p = .001) were significant positive predictors of GAD, indicating that higher stress in these areas increased anxiety levels. Positive stress-coping strategies were a significant negative predictor of GAD (β = –.266, p = .005), suggesting that effective coping reduced anxiety symptoms, while negative stress-coping was not a significant predictor of GAD (p = .05). Student–staff relationships demonstrated a non-significant negative trend (β = –.150, p = .057). Qualitative findings reinforced the statistics, identifying workload, performance pressure, financial strain, and poor coping as key stressors. In contrast, mentorship, supportive staff, and healthy coping strategies were found to foster resilience. The study concludes that academic pressure and financial strain substantially elevate GAD risk among medical students, whereas healthy coping mechanisms serve a protective role. Interventions should prioritize time management training, financial support systems, and the promotion of adaptive coping strategies, alongside fostering positive student–staff relationships to safeguard mental well-being. University counselors will gain insights into psychosocial factors influencing GAD, enabling them to provide more personalized interventions. University management and institutions will acquire knowledge to improve student welfare services and strengthen personnel support. The Ministry of Education and policymakers are expected to use the findings to advocate for resources and funding, including affordable medical education. Medical students will be able to self-assess, seek timely professional help, and support their peers who face challenges. Lecturers and staff will also gain awareness of factors related to GAD, helping them provide practical support and encouragement to students. The findings will enrich the existing literature by serving as a reference point for future studies. | en_US |
