An Intervention Study: Does a Cognitive Reappraisal Technique Reduce the Perceived Stress in Fourth-Year Dental Students in New Zealand?

Stress, psychosocial resources and possible interventions: a qualitative study among dental students

BACKGROUND

Prior studies found that dental students are affected by various stressors during their studies. Those stressors can exert adverse effects on their (mental) health. Our study addresses the lack of qualitative data on students' perspectives by exploring perceived stressors and resources among dental students and interventions suggested by them. The results of our study can contribute to the development of better preventive measures and interventions.

METHODS

In total, 57 dental students enrolled at a dental school in Germany participated in seven focus groups in the summer semester 2019 (May to July). Discussions were facilitated using a topic guide, and data collection was conducted until thematic saturation. All discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed and content-analyzed using MAXQDA.

RESULTS

Key emerging stressors were related to the organization of the study program, a lack of digitalization, practical tasks, the examination system, the work/study environment and social interactions. Resources encompassed, e.g., good organization, practical courses, patient work and valued feedback. Interventions suggested by students included regular meetings to enhance collaboration, improved communication between staff and students, a central coordination unit, fixed evaluation criteria and the integration of physical exercises and physiotherapy in the study program to prevent neck and back pain.

CONCLUSIONS

Known stressors for dental students and new aspects (e.g., concurring exams or obligatory brands) emerged from our data. Interventions suggested by the students included the use of digital learning platforms, communication training or the improvement of evaluation processes. Additional research, e.g., to explore perspectives of teaching staff and other stakeholders is necessary to gain more insights into study conditions and ways to reduce stress among dental students.

Conditional reciprocal stressor-strain effects in university students: a cross-lagged panel study in Germany

University students worldwide are facing increasing mental health challenges. Traditional stress models, like the Job/Study Demand-Resources Model, link stressors directly to strain. Yet, recent studies suggest the influence of strain on stressors may be even stronger. Our research explored these reciprocal dynamics among university students, considering social support and mindfulness as potential moderators. We conducted a two-wave panel study with 264 university students. We ran separate cross-lagged panel structural equation analyses for three key health outcomes-emotional exhaustion, depression, and well-being-each paired with perceived study stressors, specifically workload and work complexity. Findings revealed significant stressor and strain effects, with social support notably moderating the impact of emotional exhaustion on workload. These insights challenge traditional stress theories and underscore the importance of mental health support and effective stress management strategies for students, emphasizing the need for proactive mental health initiatives in academic environments.

The relationship between mindfulness and mental health among Chinese college students during the closed-loop management of the COVID-19 pandemic: A moderated mediation model

To prevent the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic on campus, universities in outbreak areas in China can implement closed-loop management.

OBJECTS

This study aimed to explore the relationship between mindfulness and mental health of college students under closed-loop management.

MEASURES

11,939 college students from a university in Changsha, China participated in the online survey during the closed-loop management period. The Chinese version of Perceived Stress Scale, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-Cognitive Reappraisal, the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, the 7-item General Anxiety Disorder questionnaire, and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire were administered to the college students.

RESULTS

We found that mindfulness was negative association with mental health during the closed-loop management period. Perceived stress mediated the relationship between mindfulness and mental health. Cognitive reappraisal moderated the relationship between mindfulness and perceived stress. Specifically, when the level of mindfulness is the same, individuals with more cognitive reappraisal tend to experience a less perceived stress.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study are of great significance to improve the mental health of college students during closed-loop management period.

Does the Level of Confidence Exhibited by Dental Students Predict the Outcome of Complete Denture Therapy?

Materials and Methods

Fifty-seven final-year dental students in the year 2019 and the first edentulous patient managed by them were recruited for the study. A fourteen-item questionnaire was given to the students to assess their level of confidence just before commencement of the treatment. Questionnaire for the patients was used to assess their satisfaction both with the operator and the dentures. Clinical outcome of dentures was assessed using ten criteria.

Results

The average confidence level of the students was found to be 2.17 in a 4-point scale. A two-sample test indicated that there is a significant difference in the overall level of confidence between female and male students (p value = 0.004). Moreover, a nonparametric correlation analysis revealed that there is no significant correlation between the overall level of confidence of each student and patient satisfaction regarding student performance, level of satisfaction of patients regarding dentures, and the quality of dentures as assessed by the clinicians (p value = 0.545, 0.877, and 0.801, respectively).

Conclusions

Students' level of confidence in carrying out complete denture procedures is satisfactory. Male students exhibited a better overall level of confidence than female students. However, the level of confidence exhibited by the dental students does not predict patient satisfaction or clinical outcome.

Cognitive Reappraisal and the Association Between Perceived Stress and Anxiety Symptoms in COVID-19 Isolated People

The purpose of this study is to examine how the emotion regulation strategy, cognitive reappraisal, affects the association between perceived stress and anxiety symptoms in COVID-19 isolated people. Data for this cross-sectional study come from a community-based online survey of COVID-19 isolated people (N = 328), who are not infected with the 2019-nCoV virus. We applied correlation and moderating effect for data analysis and found that cognitive reappraisal negatively moderated the relationship between perceived stress and anxiety symptoms. These results give us a new perspective on understanding the relationship between anxiety symptoms and perceived stress by clarifying the protective function of cognitive reappraisal. It buffers the induced negative emotion when COVID-19 isolated people perceive overpressure, and thus instigates future research into targeted clinical interventions, which aim to cultivate cognitive reappraisal skills for those isolated people in the face of stressful events or crisis events.