Assessment of Stressors in the Dental Environment among Dental Students at Yazd Dental Faculty

Introduction: The academic setting and the educational process in dental school can be inherently stressful. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the stressors in the educational setting from the perspective of dental students at Yazd Dental School. Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021 among clinical-year dental students at Yazd University of Medical Sciences. Demographic information and stress levels across different areas were gathered through the Dental Education Stress Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 16 with statistical tests including t-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson’s correlation coefficient all at a significance level of 0.05. Results: Among the 240 students who participated, 62.9% were female. The mean total stress score for all students was 80.17 ± 13.7 out of 132. Forty percent of students indicated experiencing high stress, 59.2% reported moderate stress, and merely 0.8% showed low stress levels. No significant differences were identified in the overall stress score or across domains when analyzing gender, parental education, or year of admission (P > 0.05). The overall stress score and the academic efficiency domain were significantly reduced in native students (Yazd residents) compared to non-native students (P = 0.048 and P = 0.016, respectively). No significant differences were observed in other domains (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that stress levels in the dental setting was moderate to high among most students, with the clinical education aspects being the primary source of stress. Residency status (native vs. non-native) was the only demographic factor that significantly decreased students’ stress levels.