Psychological Stress among Dental Students in Lucknow

Abstract

Introduction: Dentistry is regarded as a high-stress profession because to a demanding curriculum that consumes the majority of students' daylight hours. Dental schools are believed to be tough and stressful learning environments. Students consequently have very little time to rest.

Aims: This study's objective was to examine the connection between psychological stress, its causes, and identified stressors for undergraduate dental students during the 2021-2022 academic year.

Methods and material: Interns and students in the first to fourth years were also encouraged to participate in the questionnaire survey. Dental Environment Stress (DES) and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) were used to collect data on demographic and social backgrounds, along with lifestyle choices.

Results: In this research, 450 students completed the questionnaires, achieving a response rate of 74 percent. Students displayed notable psychological stress, with 70 percent surpassing the score threshold of 3 on the GHQ-12. Women had a higher level of stress than men, which was statistically significant at P = 0.05.

Conclusions: Although stress seems to be a fundamental aspect of dental education globally, our research has shown that undergraduate students encounter shockingly high stress levels.

Keywords: Dental school environment; dental students; psychological stress; student health; survey form.