ANXIETY IN THE ACADEMIC CONTEXT: A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN MEDICAL STUDENTS FROM PUBLIC AND PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

This article analyzes anxiety levels among medical students at the Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA) and the CEUMA University in Imperatriz, Maranhão, according to gender and type of educational institution. This is a descriptive and transversal study with a quantitative approach, carried out with 337 students selected through convenience sampling. Data collection was carried out using an electronic form that included a modified version of the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and a sociodemographic questionnaire. The data was added to descriptive and inferential analyzes using a chi-square test, with a significance level of 5%. The main halls showed a predominance of female students (65.6%), students from private institutions (56.4%) and students in the basic science phase of the study plan (49.9%). Moderate anxiety was observed in 37.1% of participants and severe anxiety in 24.6%, which sums up to 61.7% with moderate or severe symptoms. A statistically significant association was found between gender and anxiety classification (p=0.012). No statistically significant association was observed between anxiety levels and type of institution (p=0.080). The study concludes that there is a high frequency of anxiety symptoms, especially among women, which refutes the need to implement institutional strategies to promote mental health during medical training..