Strategies used to combat stress among dental college students: an Indian outlook

Tegbir Singh Sekhon; Simran Grewal; Ramandeep Singh Gambhir; Jagjit Singh Dhaliwal

doi:10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20161362

Authors

Tegbir Singh Sekhon Department of Dentistry, MM Medical College and Hospital, Solan, Himachal Pradesh
Simran Grewal Department of Physiology, MM Medical College and Hospital, Solan, Himachal Pradesh
Ramandeep Singh Gambhir Department of Public Health Dentistry, Rayat and Bahra Dental College and Hospital, Sahauran, Mohali, Punjab
Jagjit Singh Dhaliwal Department of Periodontology, Rayat and Bahra Dental College and Hospital, Sahauran, Mohali, Punjab

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20161362

Keywords:

Stress, Dental students, Coping mechanism, India, Institution

Abstract

Background: Coping strategies when used effectively buffer the unwanted impacts of stressful situation on physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. The purpose of the present study was to address various stress coping strategies utilized by Indian dental school students.

Methods: A questionnaire based cross-sectional study was conducted among third and fourth year students of a dental school. Modified version of brief COPE Scale was used to assess various coping methods used by the students. A four point Likert scale was used to record the responses from the subjects. A total of 174 subjects participated in the study. Statistical analysis was conducted using chi-square test and multiple regression analysis.

Results: Of the participants, 39% (68) were males and 61% (106) were females. TV/music/internet/hobby was used by 98% of students to combat stress. Being optimistic in spite of what has happened was indicated by 99% of students as a measure for relieving. Males, older students and students who chose dentistry as their first career preference utilized more coping strategies (p<0.05).

Conclusion: Majority of the students adopted positive coping strategies like planning, active coping, positive reframing, use of TV/music/internet/hobby, emotional and instrumental support etc. There is an urgent need for structured stress intervention programs in a country like India.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

American Psychological Association. Glossary of psychological terms [monograph on the internet]. Washington, DC: APA; 2011 [cited 2014 Oct 15]. Available from: http://www.apa.org/ research/ action/ glossary.aspx.

Dyson R, Renk K. Freshmen adaptation to university life: depressive symptoms, stress, and coping. J Clin Psychol. 2006;62:1231-44.

Dahan H, Bedos C. A typology of dental students according to their experience of stress: a qualitative study. J Dent Educ. 2010;74:95-103.

Elani HW, Allison PJ, Kumar RA, Mancini L, Lambrou A, Bedos C. A systematic review of stress in dental students. J Dent Educ. 2014;78:226-42.

Alzahem AM, Van der Molen HT, Alaujan AH, Schmidt HG, Zamakhshary MH. Stress amongst dental students: a systematic review. Eur J Dent Educ. 2011;15:8-18.

Rajab LD. Perceived sources of stress among dental students at the University of Jordan. J Dent Edu. 2001;65:232-41.

Pohlmann K, Jonas I, Ruf S, Harzer W. Stress, burnout and health in the clinical period of dental education. Eur J Dent Educ. 2005;9:78-84.

Kumar S, Dagli RJ, Mathur A, Jain M, Prabu D, Kulkarni S. Perceived sources of stress amongst Indian dental students. Eur J Dent Educ. 2009;13:39-45.

Sekhon TS, Grewal S, Gambhir RS, Sharma S. Perceived sources of stress among dental college students: An Indian perspective. Eur J Gen Dent. 2015;4:121-6.

Al-Sowygh ZH. Academic distress, perceived stress and coping strategies among dental students in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Dent J. 2013;25:97-105.

Carver CS. You want to measure coping but your protocol’s too long: consider the brief COPE. Int J Behav Med. 1997;4:92-100.

Heath JR, Macfarlane TV, Umar MS. Perceived sources of stress in dental students. Dent Update. 1999;26:94-8.

Sander AE, Lushington K. Effect of perceived stress on student performance in dental school. J Dent Educ. 2002;66:75-81.

Lazarus RS. Coping theory and research: past, present, and future. Psychosom Med. 1993;55:234-47.

White JM. Effects of relaxing music on cardiac autonomic balance and anxiety after acute myocardial infarction. Am J Crit Care. 1999;8:220-30.

Schwartz RM, Eigenbrode CR, Cantor OA. comprehensive stress-reduction program for dental students. J Dent Educ. 1984;48:203-7.

Murihead V, Locker D. Canadian dental student’s perception of stress and social support. Eur J Dent Educ. 2008;12:144-8.

Madhyastha S, Latha A, Kamath A. Stress, coping and gender differences in third year medical students. Journal of Health Management 2014;16:315-26.

Ahmad MS, Md Yusoff MM, Abdul Razak I. Stress and its relief among undergraduate dental students in Malaysia .Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 2011;42:996-1004.

Gomathi KG, Ahmed S, Sreedharan J. Causes Of Stress and coping strategies adopted by undergraduate health professions students in a university in the United Arab Emirates. Sultan Qaboos Univ Med J. 2013;13:437-41.

Mane AB, Krishnakumar MK, Niranjan PC, Hiremath SG. Differences in perceived stress and its correlates among students in professional course. J Clin Diagn Res. 2011;5:1228-33.

Alzahem AM, Van der Molen HT, Alaujan AH, De Boer BJ. Stress management in dental students: a systematic review. Adv Med Educ Pract. 2014;5:167-76.

Monteiro NM, Balogun SK, Oratile KN. Managing stress: the influence of gender, age and emotion regulation on coping among university students in Botswana. Int J Adolesc Youth. 2014;19:153-73.