Stress symptoms among third-year dental students

Area of Science:

• Dental Education
• Psychological Assessment
• Student Well-being

Background:

• Dental school curricula are rigorous and can contribute to student stress.
• Anxiety and depression are common mental health concerns among health profession students.
• Understanding stress patterns in dental students is crucial for developing support systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document stress symptoms, specifically anxiety and depression, in third-year dental students.
• To analyze changes in anxiety and depression over an academic year.
• To compare stress levels between third-year and first-year dental students.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) for psychological assessment.
• Administered surveys to 86 third-year dental students across two successive classes in October, December, and April.
• Compared findings with previously reported data from first-year dental students.

Main Results:

• Significant increases in both state and trait anxiety were observed across test administrations for one cohort.
• No significant changes in depression symptoms were detected over time or between student groups.
• Third-year students reported different stress symptom profiles compared to first-year students.

Conclusions:

• Third-year dental students exhibit rising anxiety levels during the academic year.
• Depression symptoms appear to be a consistent concern, not significantly fluctuating.
• Implementing a stress management program within the dental school environment is recommended to support student mental health.