Shivasakthy Manivasakan1, Sethuraman K Raman2, A Santha Devy3, R Saravanakumar4
1Department of Prosthodontics, Indira Gandhi Institute of Dental Sciences, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Puducherry, India.
2Centre for Health Professions Education, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Puducherry, India.
3Department of Oral Pathology, Indira Gandhi Institute of Dental Sciences, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Puducherry, India.
4Department of Periodontics, Indira Gandhi Institute of Dental Sciences, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Puducherry, India.
DOI: 10.4103/jnsbm.JNSBM_218_17
ABSTRACT
Purpose: The current study aims to compare the stress level of the undergraduate clinical dental students’ year wise in a dental college using modified dental environmental stress (DES) questionnaire and to identify the key contributing factors of stress for each year. Methods: Research hypothesis of the study is that the stress of the final year students will be more than others. The study followed cross-sectional observational study design. Total of 166 students (73 3rd years, 50 final years and 43 interns) from a private dental college in south India participated in the study. Modified DES Questionnaire was given in an electronic format and the data were collected. One way and two way ANOVA with post hoc analysis was used to calculate stress score. Results: The 3rd year students were significantly less stressed than their seniors. The final years and the interns had equal amounts of stress. The academic factors followed by patient and clinic responsibilities and professional identity were the key stress contributing factors for the final year students. Faculty relations and personal life issues were the least contributing factors for all the three batches. Conclusion: Revision of the redundant areas in curriculum, considerate changes in the clinical quota system, academic support system, guidance, and counseling for psychological well-being of the students are the need of the hour to decrease the stress in the clinical dental students.
Keywords: Academic stress, Dental students, Dental environmental stress questionnaire, Stress perception.
