Anxiety, depression and stress in dentistry academics

Abstract

Anxiety, depression and stress are mental disorders that directly impact academic life, being especially prevalent among university students. The objective was to investigate the prevalence of symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress among dentistry students in the city of Montes Claros - MG. This is a descriptive, quantitative and cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of 49 dentistry academics, selected by convenience. It was used the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - 21 (DASS-21), it was applied remotely via Google Forms. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics through the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences – SPSS software. The average age of the participants was 24.2 years (±3.4). The data revealed a high prevalence of psychoemotional symptoms. Regarding stress, 37.5% of the students presented severe or very severe levels; regarding anxiety, 55.1% reported severe or very severe symptoms; and, regarding depression, 44.9% presented these levels. No significant differences were observed between the sexes. The results evidence high rates of psychological distress among the students evaluated, especially related to anxiety. These findings reinforce the need for institutional strategies aimed at promoting mental health in the academic environment.