Assessing Anxiety and Future Specialty Preparation Among Medical Students and House Officers in Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Anxiety disorders are among the major mental health and morbidity concerns worldwide. Medical education is widely recognized as a highly demanding and stressful environment, and medical students often experience higher levels of anxiety than the general population. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of anxiety symptoms among clinical-year medical students and house officers in Central Punjab, Pakistan, and to examine their association with sociodemographic characteristics, academic performance, challenges encountered during medical training, and perceived preparedness for future medical specialties.

A cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital affiliated with a medical college in Central Punjab, Pakistan, during 2025–2026. A total of 123 clinical-year medical students and house officers participated in the study. Data were collected using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale along with a detailed sociodemographic questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 23, including descriptive statistics, frequency distributions, and independent-samples t-tests. The reliability of the GAD-7 scale was assessed using internal consistency analysis.

Results: Overall, 48.8% (n=60) of participants reported clinically significant anxiety symptoms (GAD-7 score ≥10), while 24.4% (n=30) experienced severe anxiety symptoms. The GAD-7 demonstrated very good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.912). Female participants had higher mean GAD-7 scores (M=7.475, SD=5.034) than male participants (M=5.641, SD=5.451); however, the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.072). Notably, 33.3% of participants reported experiencing psychological problems, yet only 11.5% had sought professional psychological or psychiatric support and received a formal psychiatric diagnosis.

Conclusion: Anxiety symptoms are highly prevalent among medical students and house officers in Pakistan, while a substantial proportion of those experiencing psychological difficulties do not seek professional assistance. These findings highlight the need for regular mental health screening, early identification of individuals at risk, and the provision of accessible, confidential, and supportive mental health services within Pakistani medical institutions. Strengthening institutional mental health support may help address the psychological challenges associated with medical training and improve the overall well-being of future healthcare professionals.