INTRODUCTION:

Neuroticism is one of the important personality dimension characterized by anxiety, moodiness, worry, envy, and jealousy¹. Personalities with high score on this dimension experience feelings as anxiety, anger, envy, guilt, and depression, the trait variation go with stress inducing environment².

They respond more poorly to stressors and take minor frustrations more sriously³. Because of their poor coping ability they are more likely to interpret ordinary situations as threatening³. A population basing twin study of the relationship between neuroticism and internalizing disorders supports the concept of present study⁴. Individuals who fall under this dimension often self-conscious and shy in nature, commonly impulsive thus trouble in controlling their urges and delay in gratification⁵. This dimension has a risk of internalizing mental disorders such as phobia, depression, panic disorder, and other anxiety disorders traditionally known as neuroses⁶. However, neuroticism is a neurotic tendency that differ in degree present universally in all humans⁷. Increased neuroticism pays a way to loss of psychological homeostasis and it has an effect medical student’s academic performance⁷. The adoption to the medical university induce stress in students more specifically the students high on personality dimension neuroticism has negative influence on their coping skills that also influence their academic performance⁷. Neuroticism is one of the “super traits” in the Big Five model of personality of all the big five super traits, neuroticism is the only one with a negative connotation that it is a counterpart of emotional stability⁸.

Eysenck’s theory of personality, neuroticism is interlinked with low tolerance for stress or aversive stimuli it also significantly correlated to academic performance⁹. Their negative emotional reactions tend to persist for unusually long periods of time and it diminish the ability to think with clarity, make decisions thus comes on the way of academic achievement⁹.

Students achievements are correlate with neuroticism scores, increased neurotic scores there is a likelihood of falling into clinical depression⁷. The adoption to the medical training is stressful that can inflate negative emotionality thus decrease coping ability.

Beginnings of medical school they commonly have stressors such as living away from home, making the transition to a more independent living with less supported condition, and coping with the studies that disturbs their homeostasis. Disturbances in all three levels of personality which include cognitive, connective and affective will impact student’s academics. This impacts their academics¹⁰.

Stress among medical students commonly observed in three major areas such as academic pressures, social issues and financial problems. The majority of stressful incidents in traditional curricula are related to medical training rather than to personal problems. Workload and feeling overwhelmed by the information load are major sources of stress. Fears of failing or falling behind are particular preoccupations¹¹.

United Kingdom the General Medical Council recommends that medical schools should have mechanisms in place to identify symptoms of stress that may lead to mental health issues or illness in a long run. Medical schools in the USA and Canada tackle the problem at an earlier stage¹². It is also recognized that there is a reduce the effects of stress on medical student’s health and academic performance by under taking prevention in the form of health promotion programs at the earlier stage¹². Cling on to the negative emotions requires awareness and insight since intense emotions reduces reasoning powers. During the emotional processing maintaining awareness helps to wave off any negative emotions¹². Therefore this study has made an effort to explore the influence of negative emotionality on medical student’s academic achievements in a new medical school in Malaysia.

MATERIALS AND METHOD:

This research study is useful in developing awareness among the medical students and they can be educated to prevent the effect of neuroticism by using mental health exercises. The sample group is 60 medical Students of year one UniSZA, Kuala Terengganu Malaysia. They were selected by convenient sampling technique.

Study measures: Students were gathered in the class room, consent was taken and then the Eysenckian personality inventory was distributed. Instruction was given to answer the inventory. Further answer were collected and scored. Data was tabulated with their academic grades and Carl Pearson’s correlation coefficient method was carried out to find the significance of their association. These neuroticism scores were matched with academic scores to find the association between the two variables.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDIES:

A To find the extent of neuroticism in medical students.

B To find an association between neuroticism and student’s academic achievement

RESULTS:

Of the 64 subjects 60 were chosen and 4 were excluded because of invalid answer found in the inventory. High score on Eysenckian personality inventory showed higher extent of neuroticism among the sample population. The results revealed that there were significant correlation neuroticism and academic scores (r=-0.824, p=<0.001). The study result compatible with the hypothetical assumption. There was a significant correlation between academic scores and neuroticism among study sample group.

Table 1: The association between negative emotionality and their academic achievements of UniSZA students (n=60)

	Scores
Neuroticism	Above average	Below average	P value
Stable	16 (100%)	0 (0%)	0.001
Unstable	23 (52.3%)	21 (47.7%)	0.001

Table 2: Correlation between negative emotionality scores and academic performance in semester one and two

Academic scores	Negative emotionality scores
Academic scores	r	P value*
Scores semester 1	0.826	< 0.001
Scores semester 2	0.749	< 0.001

Figure 1: The bar diagram depicts the association between negative emotionality and their academic achievements of UniSZA students (n=60)

DISCUSSION:

Neuroticism is a personality dimension which negatively effects student’s academic achievement. The correlation between the two variables that is negative emotionality score and academic achievement was found to be significant in the present study. The finding of this study is consistent with meta-analysis and has provided the first comprehensive empirical review of the validity of the Eysenck personality scales as statistical predictors of academic performance. Similar finding has been found in a study conducted on year one medical students of USM-KLE International Medical program in Belgaum, Karnataka, India. In this study the result shows the significant correlation between academic performance and neuroticism⁷. One of the literatures supporting our study reveals the meta-analysis of the relationship between big five personality traits and students’ academic achievement study conducted by University Technology Mara, Malaysia found that the personality is likely to play significant roles in influencing students academic achievements.

Neuroticism is a one of the personality dimension that has a negative impact on academic of medical student’s. The hypnotized assumption has been proven in the current study. Implication of this studies accentuates developing awareness of personality dimensions in the initial stages of medical studies may foster their academic performance.

CONCLUSION:

Our study result reveals the impact of neuroticism on medical students and its association with their academic achievement is supporting our hypothetical views. Thus the study result can help the students to develop insight into their emotionality and self-monitor their emotional stability thereby they can improve their academic achievement and professional personality.

From our study it could be concluded that neuroticism is a one of the personality dimension that has a negative impact on academic performance of medical student’s. Implication of this studies accentuates developing awareness of personality dimensions in the initial stages of medical studies may foster their academic performance. Further study result can also use by mentors and counselors in the respected schools to develop better understanding about their students thus they can help the students to enrich their personalities.

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8. Life potentials Define “Neuroticism” Personality. Neuroticism is one of the “super traits” in the Big Five model of personality. People who score high on neuroticism are more emotionally unstable and have higher levels of anxiety and depression.http://www.theworldcounts.com/life/p potentials/define-neuroticism-personality

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Received on 26.11.2017 Modified on 19.12.2018

Research J. Pharm. and Tech 2018; 11(7): 2814-2816.

DOI: 10.5958/0974-360X.2018.00519.X