The Relationship between Stress and Preclinical Dental Students' Performance: A Longitudinal Study
Diva Lugassy1, Gil Ben-Izhack2, Sara Zissu2
1Department of Orthodontics The Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine Sackler Faculty of Medicine Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel.
International Journal of Dentistry
|August 29, 2024
Summary
Dental student stress impacts performance, with lower anxiety correlating to better manual skills. Work-related stressors may hinder dental performance, while personal factors can improve it.
Area of Science:
- Dental Education
- Psychology
- Medical Education
Background:
- Preclinical dental education involves a rigorous manual skills course.
- Dental students experience significant stress during their preclinical training.
- Understanding stress levels and their impact on performance is crucial for dental education.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate stress level changes in dental students over an 8-month manual skills course.
- To examine the association between stress and dental performance in preclinical dental students.
- To identify factors contributing to stress and their relationship with academic outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study of 58 dental students at Tel Aviv University.
- Utilized Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) and Dental Environment Stress (DES) questionnaires.
- Assessed dental performance through manual tests on plastic teeth at three time points.
Main Results:
- An inverse correlation was found between lower anxiety levels and increased dental performance.
- Anxiety scores explained 74% of the variance in dental performance.
- Work-related stressors (e.g., manual skills) may negatively impact performance, unlike personal/financial factors.
Conclusions:
- High stress perception in dental students stems from the preclinical curriculum.
- Anxiety reduction is linked to improved dental manual skills.
- Both work-related and non-work-related factors influence dental student performance.
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