Perceived environmental stressors for dental hygiene students

Abstract

This study identifies stressors for dental hygiene students and examined significant differences in stress levels between first- and last-year dental hygiene students and between dental hygiene and dental students. A modified dental environmental stress (DES) questionnaire was utilized to determine the sources of stress. The questionnaire was completed by 153 (93 percent) first- and last-year dental hygiene students from four programs. Seven stressors were among the top ten stress items cited by both classes of dental hygiene students; seven other stressors exhibited significant differences (p = .01). The authors' hypothesis is that some of these stressors may be remediable. Seven of the top ten stressors for first-year dental hygiene and dental students were shared, while ten exhibited significant differences. Among last-year students, eighteen items were significant, and seven of the top ten stressors were the same.