Dental and endodontic-related stress amongst undergraduate students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed-methods study

AIM

To determine and explain the principal sources of stress among preclinical and clinical dental undergraduate students with a particular focus on the stressors linked to endodontics.

METHODOLOGY

A mixed-methods study, with an explanatory sequential design, was employed. Volunteer students of second, third and fourth years were asked to complete both the Dental Environment Stress (DES) questionnaire and a bespoke questionnaire for endodontic-related stress assessment, which had 21 questions in common with the DES. The results were analysed by Kruskal-Wallis and Marginal Homogeneity tests. In the second part of the study, a qualitative phase was conducted through focus group interviews of students from each academic year included in the study. Interviews were analysed by inductive content analysis.

RESULTS

The DES questionnaire determined that for all years the most stressful domains were 'performance pressure', 'workload' and 'clinical training'. According to the endodontic stress questionnaire, the most stressful domains were 'self-efficacy beliefs', 'endodontic clinical training' and 'faculty and administration' in early years, while they were 'endodontic patient treatment', 'performance pressure in endodontics' and 'clinical training' in later years. Comparing questions common to both questionnaires revealed that the stress score was lower for the endodontic stress questionnaire than in the DES questionnaire for 17 questions, being significantly lower for 13 questions (p < 0.05) and significantly higher for no question. The qualitative study showed that students' dental and endodontic-related stress was linked to different domains: patient, clinical procedure, organization, staff, academic education, evaluation and COVID-19-related issues. Qualitative aspects highlighted the important role that patients and COVID-19 have played in student stress. However, they suggested a possible explanation for the lower endodontic stress observed in this dental university hospital, which was based on: the nature of the teaching in endodontics, the consensus between endodontic supervisors, the use of a logical, progressive procedure and the considerable experience that students gain over the years.

CONCLUSION

Students considered endodontics stressful; however, education can play a central role in reducing stress, particularly during the early parts of the undergraduate course.

The effect of animal-assisted intervention on undergraduate students' perception of momentary stress

Background

Student mental wellness is a priority in higher education. Animal Assisted Interventions (AAIs') are gaining momentum in universities across North America (Dell et al., 2015).

Aims

This study explored the relationships between AAIs', demographic variables, and perceived momentary stress among university students.

Methods

Using a descriptive correlational design, students completed a Perceived Momentary Stress questionnaire that included the Stress Numerical Rating Scale-11 (Stress NRS-11) and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) to measure perceived stress before and after AAIs'. Data were analyzed using R (4.1.2) (R Core Team, Vienna, Austria) to identify relationships between students' perceptions of momentary stress, AAIs' and sociodemographic and demographic variables.

Results

First-year students, female students, and students identifying as sexual minorities were found to benefit the most from AAIs'.

Conclusion

Results from this study reflect relationships between exposure to animal-assisted interventions and student demographic variables.

Construction and validation of the Areas of Academic Life Scale to measure organizational risk factors for student burnout

OBJECTIVES

Academic burnout poses a challenge to the educational process. Higher education institutions have responsibilities similar to the ones of management in business settings. These institutions are responsible for creating conditions conducive to development and, as such, may be interested in verifying the presence of student burnout and pinpointing its causes. The purpose of this study was to answer these needs and develop a scale to measure the effect of organizational factors that may predict student burnout.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This paper reports the results of a study conducted on a sample of Polish students (N = 659) to construct and validate a multidimensional measure of organizational factors impacting academic burnout, focusing on students. For background purposes and as a starting point, the authors used the concept of the areas of worklife by Ch. Maslach and M. Leiter, who identified 6 areas of the work environment that affect the relationships people develop with their work, i.e., workload, control, reward, community, fairness, and values.

RESULTS

The authors assessed the factor structure, reliability, and construct validity and performed confirmatory factor analysis of the new scale to measure 6 areas of academic life. Given the results of this study, the scale can be recommended as an adequate tool to measure organizational (academic) factors of burnout in students.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors have validated the final scale, which can be used to advance the understanding of the academic burnout phenomenon. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2023;36(6):798-811.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Pharmacy Student Stress During High-Stakes, Performance-Based Assessments in Skills-Based Courses

Objective. To compare stress levels of pharmacy students in high-stakes, performance-based assessments administered during skills-based laboratory courses in normal classroom environments versus pandemic classroom environments impacted by COVID-19.Methods. In 2019, prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students' stress levels were assessed via a voluntary, paper-based survey before and after performance-based assessments. Students were given a modified version of this survey in 2020 during the pandemic. The 2019 and 2020 survey responses were compared using Wilcoxon rank sum tests.Results. Pharmacy students reported higher perceived stress levels before performance-based assessments (3.8 vs 3.5) and after performance-based assessments (2.8 vs 2.5) prior to the pandemic compared to during the pandemic. Students identified stress as negatively impacting their performance-based assessment performance in both years (3.4 vs 3.1). Students had similar interest in wellness activities in both phases.Conclusion. Colleges of pharmacy should consider implementing stress relief programs around high-stakes assessments as well as prioritizing wellness initiatives within curricula.

Student Stress and Online Shopping Addiction Tendency among College Students in Guangdong Province, China: The Mediating Effect of the Social Support

Online shopping addiction tendency (OSAT) among college students has become too serious to ignore. As a result, it is necessary to carefully examine the relevant factors that shape students' online shopping addiction tendencies. This study aimed to determine whether social support mediates the relationship between college students' stress (academic hassle, personal hassle, and negative life events) and OSAT. In this cross-sectional study using a convenient sampling method, Chinese students from eight universities in Guangdong Province, China, completed self-administered questionnaires in either printed or online format. The survey data includes daily online shopping usage, college student stress, a social support rating scale, an online shopping addiction tendency scale for college students, and demographic information. A total number of verified and valid questionnaires were returned. In a sample of 1123 (mean age = 20.28 years; 58% females). Each individual had online shopping experience. The survey revealed no gender differences in OSAT. There was a statistically significant relationship between student stress (academic hassle, personal hassle, and negative life events) and students' OSAT scores and social support. The latter was negatively correlated with OSAT and mediated the relationship between college students' stress and their OSAT. In conclusion, university students' stress (academic hassle, personal hassle, and negative life events) acts as a trigger for OSAT. A combination of a high stress level and a lack of social support increases the likelihood of developing OSAT. Social support has an effect on the OSAT of college students by relieving their stress; social support is a protective factor against the OSAT for college students.

A Case Study of Factors That Affect Secondary School Mathematics Achievement: Teacher-Parent Support, Stress Levels, and Students' Well-Being

Psychology is one of the numerous factors that influences students' mathematics achievement, but studies on the influence of psychology on student mathematics achievement are still limited. This study analyzes key factors affecting mathematics achievement through teacher-parent support, stress, and students' well-being in learning mathematics. Data was collected via online questionnaires. Participants of the study are 531 students studying at five secondary schools in Bandung, Indonesia. The data were analyzed using the structural equations modeling approach using SMART-PLS 3.0 software. The results showed that interest in learning was the most significant factor affecting students' mathematics achievement. Moreover, teachers have a more substantial effect than parents' support, which does not significantly reduce the students' stress levels. The academic and emotional support of teachers and parents reduces students' stress levels while increasing their feelings and interest in learning mathematics. This study provides essential results for school teachers and parents to improve students' mathematics achievement at the secondary school level.

Education Racial and Gender Disparities in COVID-19 Worry, Stress, and Food Insecurities across Undergraduate Biology Students at a Southeastern University

The global spread of the novel coronavirus first reported in December 2019 led to drastic changes in the social and economic dynamics of everyday life. Nationwide, racial, gender, and geographic disparities in symptom severity, mortality, and access to health care evolved, which impacted stress and anxiety surrounding COVID-19. On university campuses, drastic shifts in learning environments occurred as universities shifted to remote instruction, which further impacted student mental health and anxiety. Our study aimed to understand how students from diverse backgrounds differ in their worry and stress surrounding COVID-19 upon return to hybrid or in-person classes during the Fall of 2020. Specifically, we addressed the differences in COVID-19 worry, stress response, and COVID-19-related food insecurity related to race/ethnicity (Indigenous American, Asian/Asian American, black/African American, Latinx/Hispanic, white, or multiple races), gender (male, female, and gender expressive), and geographic origin (ranging from rural to large metropolitan areas) of undergraduate students attending a regional-serving R2 university, in the southeastern U.S. Overall, we found significance in worry, food insecurity, and stress responses with females and gender expressive individuals, along with Hispanic/Latinx, Asian/Asian American, and black/African American students. Additionally, students from large urban areas were more worried about contracting the virus compared to students from rural locations. However, we found fewer differences in self-reported COVID-related stress responses within these students. Our findings can highlight the disparities among students' worry based on gender, racial differences, and geographic origins, with potential implications for mental health of university students from diverse backgrounds. Our results support the inclusion of diverse voices in university decisioning making around the transition through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coping with occupational stress: the role of optimism and coping flexibility

The current study aimed at measuring whether coping flexibility is a reliable and valid construct in a UK sample and subsequently investigating the association between coping flexibility, optimism, and psychological health - measured by perceived stress and life satisfaction. A UK university undergraduate student sample (N=95) completed an online questionnaire. The study is among the first to examine the validity and reliability of the English version of a scale measuring coping flexibility in a Western population and is also the first to investigate the association between optimism and coping flexibility. The results revealed that the scale had good reliability overall; however, factor analysis revealed no support for the existing two-factor structure of the scale. Coping flexibility and optimism were found to be strongly correlated, and hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the interaction between them predicted a large proportion of the variance in both perceived stress and life satisfaction. In addition, structural equation modeling revealed that optimism completely mediated the relationship between coping flexibility and both perceived stress and life satisfaction. The findings add to the occupational stress literature to further our understanding of how optimism is important in psychological health. Furthermore, given that optimism is a personality trait, and consequently relatively stable, the study also provides preliminary support for the potential of targeting coping flexibility to improve psychological health in Western populations. These findings must be replicated, and further analyses of the English version of the Coping Flexibility Scale are needed.

Promoting well-being among veterinary medical students: protocol and preliminary findings

The veterinary medical profession has been the focus of increased concern as students and professionals have been found to be at risk of poor mental health outcomes. Two interventions were proposed as an attempt to improve student well-being individually and within romantic relationships. Preliminary results indicated that students who participated in the interventions experienced significant improvements in decreasing symptoms of depression and stress and relative improvements in relationship satisfaction with their partner. These noteworthy findings provide encouragement for the development of new interventions and future research focused on enhancing veterinary medical students' well-being.