Environmental and perceived stress in Australian dental undergraduates: Preliminary outcomes

• Published in: Journal of dental research, dental clinics, dental prospects dental clinics, dental prospects, 2016-01, Vol.10 (4), p.270-279
• Main Authors: Astill, Shannon, Ricketts, Nikelle, Singh, Love-Amrit, Kurtz, Dylan, Gim, Yong Hoon, Huang, Boyen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anxiety; dental education; Dental environmental stress; Dental schools; dental students; Dentists; Mental disorders; Original; perceived stress; Students; Studies
• ISSN: 2008-210X; 2008-2118
• DOI: 10.15171/joddd.2016.043

Dental students have reported a high prevalence of psychological stress and the causes are associated with the challenging dental environmental and demographic factors. This study aimed to conduct a preliminary investigation on dental students' stress status, using a sample of first-to-third-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery students in an Australian university. Special interests included causes of dental environmental stress and access to help services. A sample of 145 students was surveyed with a modified Dental Environmental Survey and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale in 2014. The participants' demographic information was also collected. The response rate was 95.4%. Second-year (P = 0.042), third-year (P < 0.001) and employed students (P = 0.027) were more likely to report stress resulting from transition to clinical learning. Third-year students were more often stressed about communicating and approaching staff (P = 0.023) as well as different opinions between staff (P < 0.001) and reduced holidays (P < 0.001). Students that were younger than 21 years of age (P = 0.001), that were first years (P < 0.001), and that were not in a relationship (P = 0.010) more often found difficulty of course work stressful. Students who were not in a relationship more often considered learning manual dexterity a source of stress (P = 0.034). Students previously seeking professional help were more likely to be stressed (P = 0.010). Causes of dental environment stress varied among years of study and demographic backgrounds. Professional support to stressed students should be enhanced. Further investigation is indicated.