Background: The mental health of medical students is an area of increasing concern worldwide. Time management is an important prerequisite for effective and efficient learning in higher education. Thus, this study aimed to assess the relationship between time management and anxiety at the Faculty of Medicine Suez Canal University through an analytic cross-sectional study.
Subjects and methods: The Assessment of time management skills (ATMS) was used to measure students' ability to manage their time according to 3 subscales (Time control, Emotional regulation in time management, & Time planning and organizing). Furthermore, The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) Survey Instrument was used to collect data from the students' data to assess their anxiety levels.
Results: The overall assessment of time management (ATMS) ranging from 30 to 112. 42 (31%) students demonstrated low time management skills, 60 (44%) students showed moderate time management skills, and 34 (25%) showed high levels of time management skills. The overall STAI of both forms ranging from 27 to 67; 40 (29%) students demonstrated mild anxiety, 46 (34%) students showed moderate anxiety, and 50 (37%) showed severe levels of anxiety. A statistically significant negative correlation was found between time management skills and levels of anxiety (r = -0.864, P = 0.001).
Conclusion: Time management is a critical tool for reducing stress and anxiety in medical students. Regular evaluations of time management skills and anxiety screening from students can help detect students who need help before they deteriorate in their academic progress.