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

Yıl 2026, Cilt: 6 Sayı: 1, 7 - 14, 27.02.2026

Sevilay Yeğinoğlu , Gülden Ereş , Erkan Büyükdemirci

https://doi.org/10.54270/atljm.2026.103

https://izlik.org/JA87ZX57HP

Öz

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.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Anxiety , COVID-19 , Dental education , Dentistry Students , Stress

COVID-19 PANDEMİSİNDE UZAKTAN EĞİTİMDEN YÜZ YÜZE EĞİTİME GEÇİŞTE DİŞ HEKİMLİĞİ ÖĞRENCİLERİNDE STRES VE ANKSİYETE DÜZEYLERİ

https://izlik.org/JA87ZX57HP

Öz

Amaç: COVID-19 pandemisi, dünya genelinde eğitim yöntemlerinde önemli değişikliklere yol açmış ve özellikle sağlık alanında eğitim gören öğrencilerin ruh sağlığını etkilemiştir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, COVID-19 pandemisi sürecinde uzaktan eğitimden yüz yüze eğitime geçen diş hekimliği öğrencilerinin stres ve anksiyete düzeylerini değerlendirmek ve bu psikolojik parametreler arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemektir. Gereç ve Yöntem: Bu kesitsel çalışma, Türkiye’de bir diş hekimliği fakültesinde gönüllü katılım ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Toplam 101 diş hekimliği öğrencisine, sosyodemografik veriler, Algılanan Stres Ölçeği (PSS) ve Koronavirüs Anksiyete Ölçeği (CAS) içeren yapılandırılmış bir anket uygulanmıştır. Etik onay sonrası anketler yüz yüze gerçekleştirilmiştir. Öğrencilerin stres ve anksiyete düzeylerini değerlendirmek ve değişkenler arasındaki ilişkileri analiz etmek amacıyla tanımlayıcı istatistikler, Mann–Whitney U testi ve Spearman korelasyon analizi kullanılmıştır. Bulgular: Öğrenciler orta düzeyde algılanan stres bildirmiştir. Kadın öğrencilerin stres düzeyleri, erkek öğrencilere kıyasla anlamlı derecede daha yüksek bulunmuştur (p= 0.043). Katılımcıların %21.8’inde COVID-19 ilişkili anksiyete saptanmıştır. Algılanan stres skorları ile COVID-19 anksiyetesi arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir ilişki belirlenmemiştir. Sonuç: Klinik eğitime geçiş sürecinde diş hekimliği öğrencileri orta düzeyde stres yaşamış, ancak algılanan stres ile COVID-19 anksiyetesi arasında doğrudan bir ilişki gösterilememiştir. Kadın öğrencilerin strese daha duyarlı olduğu gözlenmiştir. Bulgular, tıp ve diş hekimliği eğitiminde geçiş dönemlerinde psikososyal destek stratejilerinin önemini vurgulamaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Anksiyete , COVİD-19 , Diş hekimliği Eğitimi , Diş hekimliği öğrencileri , stres

Etik Beyan

This study was approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Ankara University Faculty of Dentistry (date: 17.11.2021, No: 17/03).

Destekleyen Kurum

None.

Teşekkür

None.

Kaynakça

• 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 Mar 6;33(2):e100213.
• Tran-Chi VL, Ly TT, Luu-Thi HT, Huynh VS, Nguyen-Thi MT. The influence of COVID-19 stress and self-concealment on professional help-seeking attitudes: a cross-sectional study of university students. Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2021 Dec 16;14:2081–91.
• Mishra L, Gupta T, Shree A. Online teaching-learning in higher education during lockdown period of COVID-19 pandemic. Int J Educ Res Open. 2020;1:100012.
• Hakami Z, Khanagar SB, Vishwanathaiah S, Hakami A, Bokhari AM, Jabali AH, et al. Psychological impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on dental students: a nationwide study. J Dent Educ. 2021 Apr;85(4):494–503.
• Ertürk Avunduk AT, Delikan E. Satisfaction and stress levels of dentistry students relating to distance education. Dent Med Probl. 2021 Jul–Sep;58(3):291–8.
• Kakkar M, Barmak AB, Gajendra S. Evaluation of fear, anxiety, and knowledge among dental providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Dent Sci. 2022 Oct;17(4):1648–55.
• Izzetti R, Nisi M, Gabriele M, Graziani F. COVID-19 transmission in dental practice: brief review of preventive measures in Italy. J Dent Res. 2020 Aug;99(9):1030–8.
• Yildirim TT, Atas O. The evaluation of psychological state of dental students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Braz Oral Res. 2021 May 10;35:e063.
• Mechili EA, Saliaj A, Kamberi F, Girvalaki C, Peto E, Patelarou AE, et al. Is the mental health of young students and their family members affected during the quarantine period? Evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic in Albania. J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs. 2021 Jun;28(3):317–25.
• Myers HL, Myers LB. “It’s difficult being a dentist”: stress and health in the general dental practitioner. Br Dent J. 2004 Jul;197(2):89–93.
• Özbey H, Ertuğrul ÇÇ. COVID-19 vaccination status of senior dentistry students and their views on the changing educational processes in Turkey: a survey study. J Dent Res. 2022 Jul 1;13(3):85–90.
• Cohen S, Kamarck T, Mermelstein R. A global measure of perceived stress. J Health Soc Behav. 1983 Dec;24(4):385–96.
• Lee SA. Coronavirus Anxiety Scale: a brief mental health screener for COVID-19 related anxiety. Death Stud. 2020;44(7):393–401.
• Eskin M, Harlak H, Demirkıran F, Dereboy Ç. Algılanan stres ölçeğinin Türkçeye uyarlanması: güvenirlik ve geçerlik analizi. Yeni Symposium. 2013;51(3):132–40.
• Şanlı Ö. Öğretmenlerin algılanan stres düzeylerinin çeşitli değişkenler açısından incelenmesi. Elektron Sos Bilim Derg. 2017;16(61):385–96.
• Biçer İ, Çakmak C, Demir H, Kurt ME. Koronavirüs anksiyete ölçeği kısa formu: Türkçe geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması. Anatolian Clin. 2020;25(Special Issue on COVID-19):216–25.
• Mocny-Pachońska K, Doniec R, Trzcionka A, Pachoński M, Piaseczna N, Sieciński S, et al. Evaluating the stress-response of dental students to the dental school environment. PeerJ. 2020 May 6;8:e8981.
• Gjerde PF. Depressive symptoms in young adults: a developmental perspective on gender differences. In: Funder DC, Parke DR, Tomilinson-Keasey CA, Widaman K, editors. Studying Lives Through Time. Washington DC: American Psychological Association; 1993. p. 255–88.
• Ali S, Tauqir S, Farooqi FA, Al-Jandan B, Al-Janobi H, Alshehry S, et al. Psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students, assistants, and faculty of a dental institute of Saudi Arabia. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Dec 19;18(24):13366.
• Göksu Ö, Kumcağız H. Covid-19 salgınında bireylerde algılanan stres düzeyi ve kaygı düzeyleri. Electron Turk Stud. 2020;15(4):1–15.
• Kharma MY, Koussa B, Aldwaik A, Yaseen J, Alamari S, Alras H, et al. Assessment of anxiety and stress among dental students to return to training in dental college in COVID-19 era. Eur J Dent. 2020 Dec;14(S1):S86–90.
• Maraş E, Arıcıoğlu B. Investigation of preventive measures taken by faculty of dentistry students in clinical practices and perceived stress levels during the pandemic period. Cumhuriyet Dent J. 2022;25(Suppl 1):134–40.
• Agius AM, Gatt G, Vento Zahra E, Busuttil A, Gainza-Cirauqui ML, Cortes ARG, et al. Self-reported dental student stressors and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Dent Educ. 2021 Feb;85(2):208–15.
• Özdede M, Sahin S. Views and anxiety levels of Turkish dental students during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Stoma. 2020;73(3):123–8.
• Tonkaboni A, Razi-Avarzamani A, Sadrzadeh-Afshar MS. Effects of COVID-19 epidemic on mental health of dental students of Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 2020. J Dent Educ. 2023 Jan;87(1):43–9.
• Durbas A, Karaman H, Solman CH, Kaygisiz N, Ersoy Ö. Anxiety and stress levels associated with COVID-19 pandemic of university students in Turkey: a year after the pandemic. Front Psychiatry. 2021 Oct 29;12:731348.
• Zhang WR, Wang K, Yin L, Zhao WF, Xue Q, Peng M, et al. Mental health and psychosocial problems of medical health workers during the COVID-19 epidemic in China. Psychother Psychosom. 2020;89(4):242–50.
• Şahin T, Aslaner H, Eker OO, Gökçek MB, Doğan M. Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on anxiety and burnout levels in emergency healthcare workers: a questionnaire study. Res Square. 2020;1–22.
• Joos A. Psychosomatic medicine and COVID-19 pandemic. Psychother Psychosom. 2020;89(4):263–4.
• Shah SMA, Mohammad D, Qureshi MFH, Abbas MZ, Aleem S. Prevalence, psychological responses and associated correlates of depression, anxiety and stress in a global population during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Community Ment Health J. 2021 Jan;57(1):101–10.