Adverse childhood experiences and stress among oral health students: a descriptive correlational study

Stress is a challenge to many post-secondary students and, if prolonged and unmanaged, can affect academic success. Understanding factors that contribute to students' stress is important. One possible contributor may be adverse childhood experiences (ACEs); that is, traumatic events that occur during the first 18 years of life. Inverse relationships between the number of ACEs and indicators of poor mental well-being have been proposed.

To describe ACEs in oral health students (OHS) and the associations between the number and types of ACEs and levels of perceived stress, an indicator of mental well-being.

Invitations to participate in an anonymous online cross-sectional survey were sent to all OHS, 19 years and older, attending Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Self-reports of ACEs and perceived stress were collected. Zero-order correlations and regression modelling were used to examine associations.

Twenty-six percent (26%, n = 66) of OHS completed the survey. Respondents reported an average of 2.20 ACEs; 34.9% reported ≥ 3 ACEs. Emotional abuse (41%) was the most reported ACE. Associations were observed between numbers of ACEs and stress. Levels of stress increased with the number of ACEs (r = 0.23, p < 0.05). Regression modelling determined levels of stress were not affected by ACE type (F (3,62) = 2.24, p = 0.092).

This was the first study to examine associations between ACEs and perceived stress in OHS. These students reported greater numbers of ACEs than age-matched general populations. Levels of stress were associated with numbers of ACEs.

Faculty in dental and dental hygiene programs should recognize the prevalence of ACEs among OHS and the potential impact on their mental well-being.