Psychological stress in undergraduate dental students: baseline results from seven European dental schools.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the degree of psychological distress, the experience of emotional exhaustion, and the extent of stress associated with course work in dental students and to compare these measurements among seven European dental schools.


METHODS
Multi-centred survey.


METHODS
Dental Schools at Amsterdam, Belfast, Cork, Greifswald, Helsinki, Liverpool and Manchester.


METHODS
333 undergraduate first-year dental students.


METHODS
General Health Questionnaire (GHQ12), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Dental Environment Stress Questionnaire (DES), demographic variables.


METHODS
Questionnaire administered to all students attending first year course. Completed questionnaires sent to central office for processing.


RESULTS
Seventy-nine percent of the sampled students responded. Over a third of the students (36%) reported significant psychological distress (morbidity) at the recommended cut-off point (>3 on GHQ). These scores were similar to those reported for medical undergraduates. Twenty-two percent recorded comparatively high scores on emotional exhaustion. A wide variation in these 2 measurements was found across schools (p's<0.001). Stress levels indicated by the DES were less variable (p>0.5). Some evidence showed that contact with patients and the level of support afforded by living at home may be protective.


CONCLUSIONS
Higher than expected levels of emotional exhaustion were found in a large sample of first-year undergraduate dental students in Europe.
Humphris
Gerry
G
Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Liverpool, UK. cpsy1@liverpool.ac.uk
Blinkhorn
Andy
A
Freeman
Ruth
R
Gorter
Ronald
R
Hoad-Reddick
Gillian
G
Murtomaa
Heikki
H
O'Sullivan
Robin
R
Splieth
Christian
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000209:etiology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000209:etiology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003479:Curriculum; D004497:Education, Dental; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D010361:Patients; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*; D013335:Students, Dental; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires