Psychological impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on dental students: A nationwide study

Objectives Public mental health concerns have been raised during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The aim of this study was to assess the psychological impact of the pandemic on dental students in Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among dental students from different universities in Saudi Arabia selected using 2-stage cluster sampling. The psychological impact was assessed using the validated Arabic version of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 Item questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS software. The Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used as appropriate. A chi-squared test was used to compare the proportions between the sociodemographic data and logistic regression analysis to identify variables associated with the student's responses. Results The internal consistency of the scale was excellent (0.954). A total of 697 dental students participated voluntarily in the study; their mean age was 21.76 +/- 1.859 years, and 54.7% were female. The majority (96.1%) were single, and 69.4% lived in a household of > 5 persons. Significant differences in mental health outcomes were evident for gender, university, and survey time. Elevated levels of depression, anxiety, and stress were recorded among 60.64%, 37.02%, and 34.92%, respectively, of the students. Females, students who lived alone, and junior students were more likely to experience psychological problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions The presence of elevated levels of depression, anxiety and stress among dental students highlights the need for psychological empowerment strategies involving institutional counseling services.