Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to assess emotion regulation strategies and perceived stress levels among medical students at King Saud University and examine their associations with demographic and academic factors.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using an online questionnaire that included demographic information, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and the Perceived Stress Scale. Cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression scores were calculated using standard scoring procedures.
Results: A total of 419 students participated (mean age: 21.45 ± 1.58 years; 53% female). Most students reported moderate (69.5%) or high (29.6%) perceived stress. Female students had significantly higher odds of greater stress levels compared with males (adjusted OR = 1.75, 95% CI: 1.09-2.80). Expressive suppression scores were significantly higher among males (p-value = 0.003). Cognitive reappraisal scores were significantly higher among students with moderate and high stress (p-value = 0.001) and were independently associated with increased odds of higher stress (adjusted OR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01-1.07).
Conclusion: Medical students at King Saud University experience a high burden of perceived stress with notable gender differences in emotion regulation strategies. These findings support the need for targeted mental health support and interventions that promote flexible emotion regulation strategies in medical education.

Key words: Emotion regulation questionnaire, ERQ, cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression, Saudi Arabia