Evaluation of Dental Environment Stress and Dental Student’ Characteristics

Fahimeh  Anbari; Masoumeh  Mehdipour; Samane  Rahimi; Massume  Heydari; Mohammad  Khosousi Sani; Amirmohammad  Salamatmanesh

doi:10.18502/jimc.v9i3.21821

Fahimeh Anbari Department of Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Masoumeh Mehdipour Department of Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Samane Rahimi Dentist, Private Practice, Tehran, Iran
Massume Heydari Department of Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
Mohammad Khosousi Sani Department of Oral and Maxillofacial, School of Dentistry, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
Amirmohammad Salamatmanesh Student Research Committee, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jimc.v9i3.21821

Keywords: Dental students, Dental education, Psychological, Personality, Stress, Surveys and questionnaires

Abstract

Background: Dentistry is a stressful profession. This stress is related to educational and clinical factors. This study assessed stress levels among dental students in clinical departments at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and explored its association with personal characteristics.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 231 dental students from clinical semesters (7th to 12th) at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences were surveyed using three tools: a demographic questionnaire, the Dental Environment Stress (DES) questionnaire covering six domains of academic and clinical stress, and the neuroticism subscale of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using independent t-tests for binary variables, one-way ANOVA for multi-group comparisons, and Pearson correlation to assess the relationship between neuroticism and stress, with significance set at p<0.05 in SPSS version 26.

Results: The mean total perceived stress score was 2.42±0.41 on a 1–4 scale. The highest stress was reported in the domain of academic performance (mean=3.00±0.75), while the lowest was in the “other factors” domain (mean=2.13±0.59). The female students reported significantly higher total stress scores than males (80.51±12.47 vs. 74.05±13.72; p<0.001). Fourth-year students exhibited the highest stress levels compared to other academic years (p<0.05). A significant positive correlation was found between neuroticism scores and perceived stress (r= 0.40, p<0.001). No significant relationship was observed between overall stress and marital status, age, systemic disease, or medication use (p>0.05).

Conclusion: This study identified significant levels of stress among dental students, particularly in academic and clinical domains, with female and fourth-year students experiencing the highest levels. The strong correlation between neuroticism and perceived stress suggests the need for psychological support and stress management interventions tailored to student personality traits. Implementing targeted mental health programs and curriculum adjustments may help reduce stress and improve student well-being and academic performance.