Mental Health and Quality of Life among Dental Students during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

Maja Milošević Marković, Milan B. Latas, Srđan Milovanović, Sanja Totić Poznanović, Miloš M. Lazarević, Milica Jakšić Karišik, Jana Đorđević, Zoran Mandinić and Svetlana Jovanović ()
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Maja Milošević Marković: Department of Public Health, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotica 1, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Milan B. Latas: Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotica 8, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Srđan Milovanović: Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotica 8, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Sanja Totić Poznanović: Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotica 8, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Miloš M. Lazarević: Department of Public Health, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotica 1, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Milica Jakšić Karišik: Department of Public Health, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotica 1, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Jana Đorđević: Department of Public Health, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotica 1, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Zoran Mandinić: Clinic for Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotica 11, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Svetlana Jovanović: Department of Public Health, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotica 1, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 21, 1-12

Abstract: Students are particularly vulnerable from the mental health aspect, which was especially recognized during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to reveal the impact of COVID-19 on quality of life (QoL) and mental health among dental students. The study was conducted on a sample of 797 students (207 male and 592 female) with an average age of 21.7 ± 2.4, from the School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade. The measurements used in the study were the Demographic and Academic Questionnaire, Questionnaire about exposure to COVID-19, COVID-19-Impact on QoL Questionnaire (COV19-QoL), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). The mean total score for COV19-QoL was 2.9 ± 0.9, while the diagnostic criteria of GAD-7 and depression met 19.9% and 31.4% of students, respectively. There was a positive and strong correlation between QoL, anxiety, and depression. During COVID-19, predictors for lower perceptions of QoL were female gender and death of close relatives ( p = 0.049, p = 0.005, respectively). At the same time, predictors for GAD were female gender, living in dormitories, and death of close relatives ( p = 0.019, p = 0.011, p = 0.028, respectively), while for depression they were year of study, living with parents, and death of close relatives due to COVID-19 ( p = 0.012, p = 0.008, p = 0.029, respectively). The study showed that students’ QoL and mental health during the pandemic were at high risk.

Keywords: COVID-19; dental environment; public health; quality of life; Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9); generalized anxiety disorder (GAD); dental students (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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