Resilience and psychological factors among dentistry students who received face-to-face lectures during the COVID-19 pandemic

BMC Med Educ. 2024 Apr 24;24(1):446. doi: 10.1186/s12909-024-05445-8.

Abstract

Background: This research evaluated whether the relationships between factors of resilience, self-esteem, depression, and anxiety in dental students with changes in teaching and learning methods. We also studied the psychological impact of face-to-face lectures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study used Google Forms to collect data with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE), Connor-Davidson Risk Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI and BDI-II). An open-ended question was also asked about important learning difficulties.

Results: The analysis revealed very high levels of resilience (30.23 ± 5.84), self-esteem in the normal range (29.08 ± 4.03), minimal depression levels (12.32 ± 8.05), and low anxiety levels (17.20 ± 12.41). There were no significant differences between sociodemographic variables ranges in regard to all psychological questionnaires. No high levels of depression and anxiety were found.

Conclusions: The levels were low compared to other studies in which online teaching was used, which is explained by the fact that the students retained adequate resilience and self-esteem thanks to being able to contact teachers and, above all, their own peers.

Keywords: Anxiety; Dentistry; Depression; Learning; Resilience; Students.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anxiety* / epidemiology
  • COVID-19* / epidemiology
  • COVID-19* / psychology
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Depression* / epidemiology
  • Depression* / psychology
  • Education, Dental
  • Education, Distance
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Pandemics
  • Resilience, Psychological*
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Self Concept*
  • Students, Dental* / psychology
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Young Adult