Academic resilience assessment program for pharmacy students: a cross-sectional study

Academic stress and burnout are common among pharmacy students, yet the factors influencing their resilience remain unclear. We aimed to assess the factors contributing to academic resilience among pharmacy students and accordingly, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 423 pharmacy students in Karnataka, India. The participants demonstrated high academic resilience (median Academic Resilience Scale-30 [ARS-30] score = 112 [IQR = 19]). Their resilience was associated with stronger academic performance (β = 0.300, p < 0.001), higher social support (β = 0.158, p < 0.001), and effective coping strategies (β = 0.135, p = 0.002). Additionally, positive but weak associations were observed for dietary quality (β = 0.106, p < 0.05). On-campus students (mean = 55.1, p < 0.05) and those in advanced programs such as Doctor of Pharmacy (mean = 55.6, p < 0.05), and master’s in pharmacy (mean = 55.3, p < 0.05) reported higher perseverance, whereas females had more negative emotional responses (mean = 22.4, p < 0.01). The implementation of an effective peer mentorship, nutrition counselling, digital literacy, and gender-sensitive support in schools may strengthen academic resilience.