Learning from human cadaveric prosections: Examining anxiety in speech therapy students.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Human Anatomy
• Speech Therapy

Background:

• Cadaver dissection is crucial for human anatomy education but can induce stress and anxiety in students.
• Confronting mortality during dissection may impact students' emotional well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the attitudes, reactions, fears, and anxiety states of speech therapy students in a dissection room setting.
• To assess the psychological impact of cadaver dissection on first-time student participants.

Main Methods:

• A before-and-after cross-sectional analysis was performed on speech therapy students.
• Anonymous questionnaires and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S and STAI-T) were administered.
• Anxiety levels and emotional responses were measured pre- and post-dissection.

Main Results:

• Baseline anxiety (STAI-T) remained stable (P > 0.05), while emotional anxiety (STAI-S) significantly decreased (15.3 to 11.1, P < 0.05).
• Initial anxiety rates (17%) did not change post-dissection (P > 0.05), with 63.4% contemplating life and death.
• All students recommended the dissection exercise, rating it 9.1/10, deeming it highly beneficial.

Conclusions:

• Cadaver dissection, while potentially anxiety-provoking, leads to a decrease in emotional anxiety among speech therapy students.
• Despite initial apprehension, students find dissection invaluable for anatomy education and strongly recommend the experience.
• Dissection exercises effectively contribute to health science education, enhancing understanding of human anatomy and the human condition.