Emotional Intelligence, Depression, Stress and Anxiety Amongst Undergraduate Dental Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Published in: International Journal of Public Health
• Main Author: Dasor M.M.; Jafridin A.A.; Azhar A.A.; Asma A.A.A.; Manivannan P.C.; Bilal S.; Yusof N.; Sabri B.A.M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2023
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85148596470&doi=10.3389%2fijph.2023.1604383&partnerID=40&md5=3f9d465512fb3a99ce1493822a24af84

Objectives: This study aimed to measure depression, anxiety and stress (DAS) among undergraduate dental students during the COVID-19 pandemic, identify key contributing factors of stress and explore the association of emotional intelligence to DAS. Methods: A multi-centre, cross-sectional study was conducted across four universities in Malaysia. The study administered a questionnaire consisting of the validated Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS), Dental Environment Stress (DES), Emotional Intelligence Scale (EI) and 10 statements assessing COVID-19 specific potential stressor factors. Results: Participants included 791 students across four universities. Abnormal levels of DAS were identified in 60.6%, 66.8% and 42.6% of the study participants, respectively. “Pressure of performance,” “Faculty administration” and “Self-efficacy belief” were the highest rated stressors. On-time graduation was the main COVID-19 specific stressor factor. EI was negatively correlated with DAS scores (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The levels of DAS during COVID-19 pandemic in this population is high. However, participants with higher EI presented with lower DAS suggesting that EI may be a form of coping resource and should be enhanced in this population. Copyright © 2023 Dasor, Jafridin, Azhar, Asma, Manivannan, Bilal, Yusof and Sabri.