THE INFLUENCE OF ACADEMIC STRESS ON THE PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE OF THE FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS BEFORE THE CROSS-BORDER CONTROL
The study of the dynamics of the psychological state of 30 first year students of the General Medicine Faculty at the beginning of the academic year and, immediately before the midterm control. The midterm control was carried out in 6 subjects during 7 days off-line, that is, with intense cognitive load and emotional stress in a limited time mode, without the possibility of retaking until the end of the semester. All study participants signed informed consent for participation in the study and non-disclosure of personal data. The criteria for the analysis were the results of the Spielberger-Khanin situational anxiety test and the stress level test (according to V.Yu. Shcherbatykh). Comparative analysis of the Spielberger-Khanin test results showed that the number of study participants before the midterm control with a low level of situational anxiety was absent, but the differences with the indicators at the beginning of the semester were significant (P <0.05). The frequency of detecting a high level of situational anxiety significantly increased (P <0.05). The average score for the level of anxiety at the beginning of the semester was significantly lower than before the midterm control (P <0.05). Comparative analysis of the results of the study of the level of stress against the background of a progressive increase in the activity of cognitive function and emotional stress showed that before the midterm control there was a significant decrease in the study participants with no stress (P <0.05). At the same time, the quantitative indicators of the moderate level of stress remained practically unchanged (P ˃0.05). Before midterm control, more than half of the first year students showed signs of an intense, expressed level of stress, which significantly exceeded the indicators recorded at the beginning of the academic year (P <0.05). The average total score reflecting the level of stress before the midterm control not only significantly exceeded the indicators at the beginning of the school year (P <0.05), but also exceeded them almost 2 times. This testified to the significance and negative influence of academic stress on the physiological, emotional and intellectual parameters of the organism of the first year students of the general medical faculty. It is advisable to continue and expand research in this direction.