Stress Profile Among Students of the UP Manila College of Dentistry

Abstract

Background and Objectives: It is important for dental educators to study how stress affects the learning
environment of the dental student so that they can better engineer such an environment and maximize the students' learning potential. This study aimed to describe the stress profile of dental students at the University of the Philippines Manila.

Methodology: Respondents were 149 out of 205 students. They completed three questionnaires: a Modified Dental Environment Stress Questionnaire (DESQ), the Personal Stress Profile Questionnaire (PSPQ), and an indepth questionnaire with open-ended questions. Small group discussions were also conducted. The DESQ and PSPQ were organized and analyzed using measures of central tendency and analysis of variance. Data from the survey and SGD were all categorical and were analyzed qualitatively. They were organized using repeating issues and later interpreted as themes.

Results and Conclusions: Results showed that majority of the students manifested high stress vulnerability.
Academics and Clinical Requirements were the top external sources of stress while Frustration and Overload were the primary internal causes of stress at the UP College of Dentistry. Results of this study may be used to minimize the unnecessary sources of stress and for designing stress management programs.