Exploring the Association between Emotional Intelligence and Academic Performance and Stress Factors among Dental Students: A Scoping Review

Empathy unmasked: the compassion quotient of dental students

BACKGROUND

Despite an empathic doctor patient relationship being of utmost importance to improve health care outcomes, this aspect is scarcely explored in dental students of Pakistan. This primary objective of the present study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy- Health Professions Student (JSE- HPS) version in a sample of Pakistani dental students. The study also compared the differences in empathy levels of dental students studying in different academic years.

METHODS

This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 304 students from first to final year from selected 02 private and 02 public dental colleges of Karachi, Pakistan from December 2021- January 2022. The self-administered Jefferson Scale of Empathy- Health Professions Student (JSE-HPS) version was used for data collection. This questionnaire includes 20 items that can be answered on a 7-point Likert scale. After attendance sheets were obtained, random student names were marked, and questionnaire distributed by hand to these students. All forms were collected right after to maximize response rate.

RESULTS

A total of 304 forms with complete data were returned, a response rate of 86.9%. Females (97.79 ± 15 94) were more empathetic than males (94.16 ± 12.13) (p = 0.001). Students of third-year were the most empathetic (p = 0.000). Internal consistency of questionnaire was acceptable (Cronbach's α- 0.77). Factor analysis revealed factor related to belief that patient's perspectives improve health outcome had 14 items with factor coefficient > 0.4 contributing to largest proportion of variance (23.15%).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study shows JSE- HPS to have acceptable internal consistency. Structural validity of the scale evaluated by confirmatory factor analysis reported results that were in concordance to those suggested by developers of this scale. In our study population, like other studies, females were more empathic than males. Third-year dental students were more empathetic than students of other undergraduate years.

The Association Between Emotional Intelligence and Academic Performance of Dental Students at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

INTRODUCTION

Emotional intelligence (EI) is reported to be associated with better academic performance. However, few studies from the Middle East have assessed whether EI affects academic performance in dental students. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between EI and academic performance in a sample of Saudi Arabian dental students.

METHODS

This cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study included first-year to fifth-year dental students and dental interns who were enrolled at King Saud University (KSU) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the 2023-2024 academic year. Eligible students were invited to complete the self-administered Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT) and a demographic questionnaire between October 2023 and January 2024. Academic performance was assessed based on each student's self-reported overall current grade point average (GPA) and was dichotomized into high GPA (between 4.5 and 5) and low GPA (less than 4.5).

RESULTS

Of the 437 eligible students, 330 (75.5%) completed the questionnaires. The logistic regression analysis, after sequentially adjusting for various risk factors, showed significantly better academic performance for those who had higher EI (OR=2.6, P-value=0.02).

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study suggest a significant association between EI and academic success. EI is essential for improving academic performance in dental education.

Relationship of emotional intelligence and capability of answering higher-order knowledge questions in physiology among first-year medical students

Emotional intelligence (EI) has a positive correlation with the academic performance of medical students. However, why there is a positive correlation needs further exploration. We hypothesized that the capability of answering higher-order knowledge questions (HOQs) is higher in students with higher EI. Hence, we assessed the correlation between EI and the capability of medical students to answer HOQs in physiology. First-year undergraduate medical students (n = 124) from an Indian medical college were recruited as a convenient sample. EI was assessed by the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT), a 33-item self-administered validated questionnaire. A specially designed objective examination with 15 lower-order and 15 higher-order multiple-choice questions was conducted. The correlation between the examination score and the EI score was tested by Pearson's correlation coefficient. Data from 92 students (33 females and 59 males) with a mean age of 20.14 ± 1.87 yr were analyzed. Overall, students got a percentage of 53.37 ± 14.07 in the examination, with 24.46 ± 9.1 in HOQs and 28.91 ± 6.58 in lower-order knowledge questions (LOQs). They had a mean score of 109.58 ± 46.2 in SSEIT. The correlation coefficient of SSEIT score with total marks was r = 0.29 (P = 0.0037), with HOQs was r = 0.41 (P < 0.0001), and with LOQs was r = 0.14 (P = 0.19). Hence, there is a positive correlation between EI and the capability of medical students to answer HOQs in physiology. This study may be the foundation for further exploration of the capability of answering HOQs in other subjects.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study assessed the correlation between emotional intelligence (EI) and the capability of medical students to answer higher-order knowledge questions (HOQs) in the specific context of physiology. The finding reveals one of the multifaceted dimensions of the relationship between EI and academic performance. This novel perspective opens the door to further investigations to explore the relationship in other subjects and other dimensions to understand why students with higher EI have higher academic performance.

Challenges and coping experiences faced by nursing staff in long-term care facilities in China: a qualitative meta-analysis

Objective

The aim of this study is to discern the challenges and coping experiences encountered by nursing staff in long-term care facilities in China. This will be achieved through the identification, evaluation, and qualitative synthesis of comprehensive data.

Design

This is a qualitative meta-analysis.

Methods

The research systematically examined relevant literature sourced from six databases, concluding the search in August 2023. The inclusion criteria encompassed qualitative and mixed-methods studies in both Chinese and English, focusing on challenges faced by nursing staff in long-term care facilities and their corresponding coping strategies. The application of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework facilitated the qualitative meta-integration process. Three independent researchers meticulously screened and assessed the quality of the chosen studies. The synthesis process sought to amalgamate and structure analogous findings into novel categories through multiple readings of the original literature. These categories were subsequently distilled into comprehensive themes.

Results

Analyzed 15 articles revealed 14 sub-themes and 4 overarching analytical themes. These encompassed Sources of Challenges such as multitasking, clinical emergencies, workplace conflict, demand exceeding resources, and occupational discrimination. Psychological impacts included suppressed emotion, compassion fatigue, and self-doubt. Practical consequences involved damaged health, imbalanced life, and occupational disappointment. Coping strategies identified were self-adjusting, feeling validation and belonging, and finding support.

Conclusion

Our research identified the challenges faced by nursing staff in Chinese long-term care facilities and their coping experiences. We found that most challenges could be mitigated through appropriate adjustments in managerial strategies, such as reasonable human resources planning, and providing resource support, including material, emotional, and informational support. Similarly, institutions should have offered necessary emotional and psychological support to nursing staff to overcome the negative impacts of challenges and encourage them to adopt positive coping strategies.

The health and quality of life of dental workers in jordan during COVID-19: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Dental team members are susceptible to high mental and physical stress levels, which could have increased during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate Jordanian dental workers' health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and determine its predictors during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional survey study conducted on dental team members, namely; Dentists, dental Assistants, and Dental Technicians. The survey questionnaire was composed of questions related to stress during COVID-19, a short-form survey of 12 items (SF-12), a Depression, Anxiety, and Stress scale (DASS-21), and a Nordic musculoskeletal disorder questionnaire (NMQ). Descriptive analyses were used to describe the main outcome measures, and multiple variable regression analysis was conducted to identify the quality of life predictors.

RESULTS

Participants' HRQoL measured by SF-12 showed a mean±SD score of 67.1±17.19 for the physical component and 54.51±20.27 for the mental component. The Nordic scale showed symptoms of lower back pain as 63.9% over 12 months, 32% over 12 months' functional limitation symptoms, and 45% in 7 days The regression model was found strong for our study with 53.8% variations (r2 = 0.538, F = 43.739, P < 0.001) in health-related quality of life.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study concluded that the level of HRQoL among Jordanian dental specialists during COVID-19 was observed to impact levels of physical and mental well-being which negatively influence the quality of life. Predictive factors like depression, stress, anxiety, musculoskeletal health, and individual everyday quality of life significantly affect the HRQoL of dental specialists.

The influence of emotional intelligence on academic stress among medical students in Neyshabur, Iran

BACKGROUND

Although, several novel strategies related to coping with stress dominate the possible vicissitudes that may occur, academic stress and its mental and physical outcomes remain a serious public concern among college students. Available data on how/where intervention-based novel strategies and emotional intelligence skills can influence students' ability to deal with stress and crisis situations is still unclear. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of an educational intervention based on emotional intelligence on the level of academic stress components among Iranian medical students.

METHODS

This research has been done in two descriptive and quasi-experimental sections in the academic year 2018-2019. To determine the effect of emotional intelligence components on stress levels, this descriptive study was performed on 200 students. Then, a quasi-experimental study was then conducted to determine the impact of an emotional intelligence component-based educational intervention on academic stress-coping skills. Data were collected through a personal information questionnaire, Bradbury and Graves's emotional intelligence questionnaire, and Gadzella's academic stress questionnaire.

RESULTS

Most of the participants were female (72.3%) married (72%), non-native (62.1%), and second or third academic years (78.5%). The mean number of academic years of employment was 9.5. The mean age of students were 23 ± 3.5 years old. Intervention based on emotional intelligence significantly (p < 0.05) improved students' emotional intelligence skills and decreased their academic stress and reactions to stressors in the intervention group.

CONCLUSION

It appears that emotional intelligence training is a feasible and highly acceptable way to develop coping skills with academic stress; therefore, such training is essential to be considered as part of university education to improve students' education quality and their skills to study without academic stress.

Association between history of academic failure during dental school and self-reported depression, anxiety, and stress: A retrospective cohort

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association between history of academic failure (HAF) and self-reported depression, anxiety, and stress among undergraduate dental students.

METHODS

This study involved 244 dental students from one university. An online questionnaire collected information on the following variables: socioeconomic status, behavior, use of licit/illicit drugs, and the choice of dentistry as an undergraduate field of study. The 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) was applied. HAF in at least one subject during a participant's undergraduate tenure was defined as the main outcome. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed using Poisson regression with robust variance. In addition, a subgroup analysis was performed for the variable "dentistry as the first choice for undergraduate studies."

RESULTS

The prevalence of HAF was 25.00% (n = 61). Among those students, the mean number of academic failures was 5.41 ± 6.38 (range: 1-33). Higher rates of HAF were observed among older and non-white dental students. Moreover, those who self-reported at least severe depression presented a 79% higher HAF prevalence ratio (PR) (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.15-2.80). Similar findings were detected among those who reported (PR: 1.79; 95% CI: 1.06-4.46) or did not report (PR: 2.21; 95% CI: 1.10-4.46) interest in dentistry as a first undergraduate option. Conversely, among women and students who did not choose dentistry as their first option, HAF was significantly lower (PR: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.21-0.80).

CONCLUSION

Higher HAF rates are observed in students who are older, non-white, and self-report at least severe depression. However, dentistry as a first option for undergraduate studies was not associated with HAF.

Impact of Confinement on Coping Strategies and Psychosocial Factors among University Students

The pandemic has had psychological effects on the university population. Factors such as emotional intelligence, coping strategies and levels of anxiety, depression and stress have been affected by the situation generated by COVID-19. This study aims to analyze how EI, coping strategies and levels of anxiety, depression and stress have been affected by the situation generated by the pandemic in a population of 567 students from the University of Jaén (Spain). For this purpose, we administered three instruments: the Wong and Law emotional intelligence scale (WLEIS), the Spanish version of the coping strategies inventory (CSI) and the depression anxiety stress scales (DASS-21). At the same time, we asked students to describe their personal circumstances during confinement and their tendency to follow the measures and recommendations promoted by the Ministry of Health. The results obtained showed a positive relationship between EI and coping strategies and a negative relationship with levels of depression, anxiety and stress. A positive relationship was also found between coping and levels of anxiety, depression and stress. It was also found that the circumstances in which students experienced the period of confinement also modulated their levels of EI, coping strategies and their levels of depression, anxiety and stress.