Year : 2023

Volume : Volume 14

Issue : Issue 4

Address for correspondence :
Dr. Arshdeep Kaur
dr.arsh357@gmail.com

Abstract

Background: The curriculum of a dental undergraduate course is rigorous and demanding, and it can be challenging to balance the academic workload with clinical work and personal life. Ahigh prevalence of psychological stress in undergraduate dental students has been witnessed. The present study was conducted to evaluate, compare, and document various factors associated with perceived stress based on course and curriculum among the undergraduate dental students of Bhopal city. Materials and Methods: An observational, cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted among 390 dental students using the dental environmental stress (DES) questionnaire and the validated Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS–21). SPSS version 25 was used for statistical analysis. Variables were compared using mean, standard deviation, and independent sample t-test. Results: The respondents’ average age was 24.52 ± 2.63 years. The highest stress for the dental environment (DES) was found in clinical group of students with a mean of 2.7 ± 0.18, while it was 2.06 ± 0.12 in the pre-clinical students, which was statistically significant at P = 0.00*. Overall score of DES was 2.99 ± 0.39. Overall DASS 21 when assessed was 15.75 ± 1.05 in pre-clinical group while it was 18.19 ± 0.93 in clinical group but still non-significant at P = 0.07. Conclusion: Introduction of stress coping measures in dental education system can immensely alleviate the stress levels among dental students and can mold them into healthy, responsible, and independent professionals.