Research Article

The effect of classical music during clinical practice on dental students’ stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic

Volume: 9 Number: 3 May 19, 2026

The effect of classical music during clinical practice on dental students’ stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of classical music exposure during clinical practice on perceived stress and coronavirus-related anxiety levels among dental students during the transition back to face-to-face education in the COVID-19 pandemic period. Methods: This prospective single-group clinical study with repeated measures included 46 systemically healthy dental students. Data were collected through face-to-face questionnaires at four different time points: baseline (T1), after patient care in the clinic (T2), before listening to music (T3), and after listening to music (T4). The questionnaire consisted of sociodemographic data, the Perceived Stress Scale-14 (PSS-14), and the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS). Data were analyzed using paired t-tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, as appropriate. Results: Mean PSS-14 scores obtained before listening to music (T1, T2, and T3) were similar, whereas a significant decrease was observed after listening to music (T4). No statistically significant differences were found between T1 and T2 or T3 in terms of PSS-14 and CAS scores. However, PSS-14 and CAS scores at T4 were significantly lower compared with T1, T2, and T3 (p=0.004, p=0.001, p<0.001, p=0.002, p=0.007, and p<0.001, respectively). Conclusion: Listening to classical music during clinical practice was associated with significantly lower perceived stress and coronavirus-related anxiety scores among dental students.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

The study was approved by the Ankara University Faculty of Dentistry Clinical Research Ethics Committee in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki (No: 17/03 and dated 17.11.2021).

References

  1. Qiu J, Shen B, Zhao M, Wang Z, Xie B, Xu Y. A nationwide survey of psychological distress among Chinese people in the COVID-19 epidemic: implications and policy recommendations. Gen Psychiatr. 2020;33(2):e100213. doi:10.1136/gpsych-2020-100213
  2. Hakami Z, Khanagar SB, Vishwanathaiah S, et al. Psychological impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on dental students: a nationwide study. J Dent Educ. 2021;85(4):494-503. doi:10. 1002/jdd.12470
  3. Varma SR, Thomas S, Al Radaideh A, Ergieg S, Fayez E, Malik L. The impact of background music in reducing stress during preclinical dental laboratories. J Int Soc Prev Community Dent. 2019;9(1):77-82. doi:10. 4103/jispcd.JISPCD_258_18
  4. Anyanwu EG. Background music in the dissection laboratory: impact on stress associated with the dissection experience. Adv Physiol Educ. 2015;39(2):96-101. doi:10.1152/advan.00057.2014
  5. Kulu M, Özsoy F, Gürler EB, Özbeyli D. COVID-19 salgınının diş hekimleri üzerinde yarattığı gelecek kaygısı ve stresin değerlendirilmesi. Pamukkale Med J. 2021;14(1):103-112. doi:10.31362/patd.777556
  6. Burns J, Labbé E, Williams K, McCall J. Perceived and physiological indicators of relaxation: as different as Mozart and Alice in Chains. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 1999;24(3):197-202. doi:10.1023/A:10234886 14364
  7. Vidas D, Larwood JL, Nelson NL, Dingle GA. Music listening as a strategy for managing COVID-19 stress in first-year university students. Front Psychol. 2021;12:647065. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.647065
  8. Lai HL, Chen PW, Chen CJ, Chang HK, Peng TC, Chang FM. Randomized crossover trial studying the effect of music on examination anxiety. Nurse Educ Today. 2008;28(8):909-916. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2008.05.011

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Music Therapy

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

May 19, 2026

Submission Date

February 15, 2026

Acceptance Date

March 10, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 9 Number: 3

APA
Yeğinoğlu, S., & Ereş, G. (2026). The effect of classical music during clinical practice on dental students’ stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Health Sciences and Medicine, 9(3), 708-713. https://doi.org/10.32322/jhsm.1890222
AMA
1.Yeğinoğlu S, Ereş G. The effect of classical music during clinical practice on dental students’ stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Health Sci Med / JHSM. 2026;9(3):708-713. doi:10.32322/jhsm.1890222
Chicago
Yeğinoğlu, Sevilay, and Gülden Ereş. 2026. “The Effect of Classical Music During Clinical Practice on Dental Students’ Stress and Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic”. Journal of Health Sciences and Medicine 9 (3): 708-13. https://doi.org/10.32322/jhsm.1890222.
EndNote
Yeğinoğlu S, Ereş G (May 1, 2026) The effect of classical music during clinical practice on dental students’ stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Health Sciences and Medicine 9 3 708–713.
IEEE
[1]S. Yeğinoğlu and G. Ereş, “The effect of classical music during clinical practice on dental students’ stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic”, J Health Sci Med / JHSM, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 708–713, May 2026, doi: 10.32322/jhsm.1890222.
ISNAD
Yeğinoğlu, Sevilay - Ereş, Gülden. “The Effect of Classical Music During Clinical Practice on Dental Students’ Stress and Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic”. Journal of Health Sciences and Medicine 9/3 (May 1, 2026): 708-713. https://doi.org/10.32322/jhsm.1890222.
JAMA
1.Yeğinoğlu S, Ereş G. The effect of classical music during clinical practice on dental students’ stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Health Sci Med / JHSM. 2026;9:708–713.
MLA
Yeğinoğlu, Sevilay, and Gülden Ereş. “The Effect of Classical Music During Clinical Practice on Dental Students’ Stress and Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic”. Journal of Health Sciences and Medicine, vol. 9, no. 3, May 2026, pp. 708-13, doi:10.32322/jhsm.1890222.
Vancouver
1.Sevilay Yeğinoğlu, Gülden Ereş. The effect of classical music during clinical practice on dental students’ stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Health Sci Med / JHSM. 2026 May 1;9(3):708-13. doi:10.32322/jhsm.1890222

Interuniversity Board (UAK) Equivalency: Article published in Ulakbim TR Index journal [10 POINTS], and Article published in other (excuding 1a, b, c) international indexed journal (1d) [5 POINTS].

The Directories (indexes) and Platforms we are included in are at the bottom of the page.

Note: Our journal is not WOS indexed and therefore is not classified as Q.

You can download Council of Higher Education (CoHG) [Yüksek Öğretim Kurumu (YÖK)] Criteria) decisions about predatory/questionable journals and the author's clarification text and journal charge policy from your browser. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/journal/2316/file/4905/show







The indexes of the journal are ULAKBİM TR Dizin, ICI World of Journals, DOAJ, Directory of Research Journals Indexing (DRJI), General Impact Factor, ASOS Index, WorldCat (OCLC), MIAR, OpenAIRE, Türkiye Citation Index, Türk Medline Index, InfoBase Index, Scilit, etc.

       images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRB9r6zRLDl0Pz7om2DQkiTQXqDtuq64Eb1Qg&usqp=CAU

500px-WorldCat_logo.svg.png

atifdizini.png

logo_world_of_journals_no_margin.png

images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcTNpvUjQ4Ffc6uQBqMQrqYMR53c7bRqD9rohCINkko0Y1a_hPSn&usqp=CAU

doaj.png  

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSpOQFsFv3RdX0lIQJC3SwkFIA-CceHin_ujli_JrqBy3A32A_Tx_oMoIZn96EcrpLwTQg&usqp=CAU

ici2.png

asos-index.png

drji.png





The platforms of the journal are Google Scholar, CrossRef (DOI), ResearchBib, Open Access, COPE, ICMJE, NCBI, ORCID, Creative Commons, etc.

COPE-logo-300x199.jpgimages?q=tbn:ANd9GcQR6_qdgvxMP9owgnYzJ1M6CS_XzR_d7orTjA&usqp=CAU

icmje_1_orig.png

cc.logo.large.png

ncbi.pngimages?q=tbn:ANd9GcRBcJw8ia8S9TI4Fun5vj3HPzEcEKIvF_jtnw&usqp=CAU

ORCID_logo.png

1*mvsP194Golg0Dmo2rjJ-oQ.jpeg


Our Journal using the DergiPark system indexed are;

Ulakbim TR Dizin,  Index Copernicus, ICI World of JournalsDirectory of Research Journals Indexing (DRJI), General Impact FactorASOS Index, OpenAIRE, MIAR,  EuroPub, WorldCat (OCLC)DOAJ,  Türkiye Citation Index, Türk Medline Index, InfoBase Index


Our Journal using the DergiPark system platforms are;

Google, Google Scholar, CrossRef (DOI), ResearchBib, ICJME, COPE, NCBI, ORCID, Creative Commons, Open Access, and etc.


Journal articles are evaluated as "Double-Blind Peer Review". 

Our journal has adopted the Open Access Policy and articles in JHSM are Open Access and fully comply with Open Access instructions. All articles in the system can be accessed and read without a journal user.  https//dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/jhsm/page/9535

Journal charge policy   https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/jhsm/page/10912

Our journal has been indexed in DOAJ as of May 18, 2020.

Our journal has been indexed in TR-Dizin as of March 12, 2021.


17873

Articles published in Journal of Health Sciences and Medicine have open access and are licensed under the Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International License.