Stress and anxiety levels of dentistry students transitioning from distance education to face-to-face education during the covid-19 pandemic

Authors : Sevilay Yeğinoğlu, Gülden Ereş, Erkan Büyükdemirci

Pages : 7-14

Doi:10.54270/atljm.2026.103

View : 98 | Download : 162

Publication Date : 2026-02-27

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Aim: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant shift in educational modalities worldwide, affecting students\\\' mental health, especially those in healthcare education. To assess the levels of stress and anxiety among dentistry students who transitioned from distance education to face-to-face learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and to examine the relationship between these psychological parameters. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at a faculty of dentistry in Turkey with volunteer participation. A total of 101 volunteer dentistry students were surveyed using a structured questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic data, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS). The survey was conducted face-to-face following ethical approval. Descriptive statistics, Mann–Whitney U test, and Spearman’s correlation were used to evaluate stress and anxiety levels and to assess correlations between variables. Results: Students reported a moderate level of perceived stress. Female students exhibited significantly higher stress levels than male students (p= 0.043). Coronavirus-related anxiety was present in 21.8% of the participants. No statistically significant correlation was found between stress scores and COVID-19 anxiety scores. Conclusion: While dentistry students experienced moderate stress levels during the transition to clinical education, the direct relationship between perceived stress and coronavirus-related anxiety was not statistically significant. Female students appeared more vulnerable to stress. These findings highlight the importance of psychosocial support strategies during transitional periods in medical education.
Keywords : Anksiyete, COVİD-19, Diş hekimliği Eğitimi, Diş hekimliği öğrencileri, stres

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