Anxiety in candidates for university entrance examinations: an exploratory study

Background: Despite the growing interest and the existing literature about adolescents in preparation for the university entrance examinations, the knowledge about this population is still scarce. Objectives: To verify the prevalence of anxiety indicators in students of courses for preparation for entrance examinations in the city of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. Methods: 1,046 students were evaluated who were preparing for the entrance exam, among them 390 (37.3%) were male and 656 (62.7%) were female. The average age for the sample was 18 years old (SD 2.71). The participants answered a structuralized questionnaire, with sociodemographic questions and the Anxiety Beck Scale. Results: 23.5% of the students presented moderate or severe anxiety; the female candidates had significantly higher levels than the male candidates; the courses whose candidates presented greater anxiety were Advertising, Pharmacy, Veterinary Medicine, Medicine and Dentistry; the feelings of obligation to take the exam and the fact of considering it as something decisive in their lives made the adolescents feel more anxiety. Discussion: There is an urgent need for psychiatric/psychological attention to these candidates. Other studies must be carried out, enhancing the knowledge and basing on evidence the future interventions aimed at this population.