The Experience of Stress Among Dentistry Students in Canada

Dental education is a stressful experience for some students. Dental students in seven European schools have been found to report stress levels higher than in the general population, with 36% of students reporting significant psychological distress. Canadian dental students have reported an increase in anxiety, depression and hostility. No research was found to have investigated dental education stress using a qualitative analytical approach. Objectives: This study aimed to better understand the experience of stress among dentistry students using qualitative methodology. Methods: 10 recent graduates from the McGill University Faculty of Dentistry were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. All interviews were audio-taped and transcribed. Themes from the interviews were identified and coded by reading and rereading the texts until information-saturation occurred. These themes were further refined and clarified by cross-analysis of the texts. Results: We identified three types of students with respect to their experience of stress: the highly stressed student, the moderately stressed student, and the relaxed student. The highly stressed students are ones who feel that they are struggling in the program or are worried of falling behind. This group had an antagonistic relationship with staff, many of them feeling that the staff was unsupportive. The moderately stressed student felt that although dental school is stressful, it was manageable. These students were able to use the stresses related to dental school to motivate them by focusing on their studies. The final group was students that were not stressed but were well-adjusted throughout the program. These students were the ones that did very well in the program according to faculty feedback and were well-liked by students and staff. Conclusion: Faculties need to identify and aid highly stressed students. Furthermore, they need to adopt stress-management courses in their curriculum. Funding: CIHR-AOHR.