Akhtar S, Tissainayagam J, Lo J, Siddiqi A, Zafar S
School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland, Australia.
Department of Periodontics and Implantology, Griffith University, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queensland, Australia.
Aust Dent J. 2024 Dec;69(4):312-319. doi: 10.1111/adj.13029. Epub 2024 Jul 16.
The dentistry program is extremely demanding mentally and physically. Consequently, it can induce high levels of stress, anxiety and depression in students. There is some research in measuring these ramifications on dental students, but they lack the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic which has brought about many fundamental changes to the curriculum of dental students. The aim of this study was to assess dental students' mental health through the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) during the COVID-19 pandemic in an Australian dental School.
The Bachelor of Dental Science (Honours) students enrolled in years 2-5 were requested to complete an online questionnaire that included the DASS-21 and additional questions regarding the impact of COVID-19 on quality of life. Jamovi was utilized to conduct descriptive data analysis.
179 students completed the survey with 81 males (45%) and 98 females (55%). 70.4% of the participants described elevated anxiety for the health of their loved ones and themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic. The overall mean DASS-21 scores were 7.1 (5.07) in depression, 4.9 (4.00) in anxiety and 6.5 (4.32) in stress.
The results indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the mental health of dental students. While further research is still required, it is important for universities to recognize how this pandemic affected the mental wellbeing of students so that they can implement appropriate support programs and improve dental education.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on social and mental health worldwide, and dental students are notably affected. Recognized as a psychological risk factor, COVID-19 has been linked to an increased rate of suicidal deaths. This paper underlines the importance of recognizing the full scope of the pandemic's impact on dental students, including their views and the potential effects on their physical and mental health. The study indicates a pressing need for more robust support from the organizations to improve the mental health and overall well-being of dental students.
牙科专业课程对学生的身心要求极高。因此，它会给学生带来高度的压力、焦虑和抑郁。在测量这些对牙科学生的影响方面已有一些研究，但这些研究缺乏新冠疫情的影响因素，而新冠疫情给牙科学生的课程带来了许多根本性变化。本研究的目的是在澳大利亚一所牙科学院，通过抑郁、焦虑和压力量表（DASS - 21）评估新冠疫情期间牙科学生的心理健康状况。
要求就读于2至5年级的牙科学士（荣誉学位）学生完成一份在线问卷，问卷包括DASS - 21以及关于新冠疫情对生活质量影响的其他问题。使用Jamovi进行描述性数据分析。
179名学生完成了调查，其中男性81名（45%），女性98名（55%）。70.4%的参与者表示在新冠疫情期间，对自己和亲人的健康感到焦虑加剧。DASS - 21的总体平均得分在抑郁方面为7.1（5.07），焦虑方面为4.9（4.00），压力方面为6.5（4.32）。
结果表明，新冠疫情对牙科学生的心理健康产生了负面影响。虽然仍需要进一步研究，但大学认识到这一疫情如何影响学生的心理健康很重要，以便他们能够实施适当的支持计划并改善牙科教育。
新冠疫情对全球社会和心理健康产生了深远影响，牙科学生受到显著影响。新冠疫情被认为是一个心理风险因素，与自杀死亡率上升有关。本文强调了认识到疫情对牙科学生影响的全面性的重要性，包括他们的观点以及对其身心健康的潜在影响。该研究表明迫切需要各组织提供更有力的支持，以改善牙科学生的心理健康和整体幸福感。
