Stress and minor mentaldisorders in undergraduatedental students

This study aimed to analyze the occurrence of stress and minor mental disorders (MMD) among dental students. Participants included students in the pre-clinical stage (N=123) and clinical stage (N=169) of the dental program. Data collection was carried out using sociodemographic data, Dental Environmental Stress (DES) and Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) to evaluate the minor mental disorders (DMM). Analysis was conducted using the Mann-Whitney test, Fisher’s exact test, and logistic regression with a significance level of 5%. The overall mean for stressors was 2.7, indicating a range between “Mildly Stressful” and “Moderately Stressful,” with higher levels observed in the clinical stage (2.8) and among women (2.9). The main stressors were “Exams and grades” (pre-clinical - 3.7, clinical - 3.9; p=0.0314), “Fear of failing a subject or losing the year” (pre-clinical - 3.6, clinical - 3.7; p=0.7596), “Completing graduation requirements” (pre-clinical - 3.4, clinical - 3.6; p=0.1092), and “Lack of time for relaxation or leisure” (pre-clinical - 3.3, clinical - 3.6; p=0.0037). The overall prevalence of MMD was 78.5%, with higher rates observed in the clinical stage (82.2%) and among women (81.6%). Of the variables in the regression analysis, two remained significant: “Difficulties at work” (p=0.001) and “Loss of interest in things” (p=0.033). The environment experienced by the participants in this study presents stressors, with a high prevalence of suspected MMD among female students in both stages of the dental program.