Fear of Failure Among Medical and Non- Medical Students in Rawalpindi and Islamabad: A Cross-Sectional Study

Ayesha Umer; Ammar Yasir; Alieha Nasir; Tamania Akram; Arooj Basit; Nosheen Zaidi

doi:10.37185/

Authors

Ayesha Umer Foundation University, Islamabad, Pakistan
Ammar Yasir Foundation University, Islamabad, Pakistan
Alieha Nasir Foundation University, Islamabad, Pakistan
Tamania Akram Foundation University, Islamabad, Pakistan
Arooj Basit Foundation University, Islamabad, Pakistan
Nosheen Zaidi Foundation University, Islamabad, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37185/

Keywords:

Academic Stress, Fear of Failure, Mental Health, Performance Anxiety, Students

Abstract

Objective: To compare the level of atychiphobia in medical and non-medical students and to find an association between year of study, gender, and field of study of students with atychiphobia.
Study Design: A cross-sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the Department of Community Medicine, Foundation University Islamabad (FUMC), and the Rawalpindi campus Pakistan from April 2024 to July 2024.
Methods: A total of 331 students compared to 165 medical students from FUMC (Foundation University Medical College) and 166 non-medical students from FURC (Foundation University Rawalpindi Campus) using a self-administered questionnaire. All consenting MBBS students from 1^st to 5^th year at FUMC were included, excluding those with psychological issues. The study found a P-value of 0.05 when comparing medical and non-medical students, using the Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory (PFAI) Scale and t-tests to identify associations with atychiphobia.
Results: The study included 331 students, with 136 (56 medical and 80 non-medical) showing the low fear of failure, 167 (91 medical and 76 non-medical) showing moderate fear, and 28 (18 medical and 10 non-medical) showing the high fear of failure. The mean age of medical students was 22.13±1.99, and of non-medical students it was 21.58±0.18. The atychiphobia in medical students turned out to be 37.2242±7.36865, and in non-medical students it was 33.3554±8.33904 with a t-value of 4.472. The Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory (PFAI) test found no significant difference in atychiphobia between medical and non-medical students (P=0.057). ANOVA results supported this with an F-value of 1.917 and P=0.107. An independent t-test also showed no significant difference in atychiphobia between male and female students (P=0.062). The analysis was conducted using SPSS 26.
Conclusion: The analysis shows that atychiphobia is not significantly influenced by gender, year of study, or academic field.

How to cite this: Umer A, Yasir A, Nasir A, Akram T, Basit A, Zaidi M. Fear of Failure Among Medical and Non- Medical Students in
Rawalpindi and Islamabad: A Cross-Sectional Study. Life and Science. 2026; 7(2): 246-251. doi: http://doi.org/10.37185/LnS.1.1.828