Depressão, ansiedade e estresse em estudantes de graduação de Odontologia e sua associação com variáveis sociodemográficas e do ambiente acadêmico

Abstract

This study aimed to verify the occurrence of stress, anxiety and depression in undergraduate dental students in Public Institutions in the State of Paraiba, and their association with sociodemographic variables and the academic environment. It was a cross-sectional study comprised by 488 undergraduates, who answered two virtual questionnaires: sociodemographic and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale – 21 Items (DASS-21). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the investigated variables, followed by inferential statistics with the aid of Pearson's chi-square test or Fisher's exact. Subsequently, logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the magnitude of the associations. Variables with p < 0.05 remained in the final adjusted model. The level of significance considered in the decisions of the statistical tests was 5% (p < 0.05). Cronbach's α coefficient was estimated at 0.942. The results indicated that the occurrences of depression, anxiety and stress were, respectively, 60.0%; 59.8% and 60.9%. The multivariate analysis showed that the variable "thinking about quitting the course" remained associated with depression (aOR: 2,13; CI: 1,39-3,26; p = 0,001), anxiety (aOR: 2,11; CI: 1,39-3,21; p < 0,001) and stress (aOR: 1,76; CI: 1,16-2,67; p = 0,008). The variables “believing/practicing a religion only weekly” (aOR: 2,31; CI: 1,36-3,91; p = 0,002) or “not practicing/not believing” (aOR: 2,03; CI: 1,26-3,27; p = 0,004) and “low family income” (aOR: 1,92; CI: 1,01-3,63; p = 0,045) or “intermediate” (aOR: 1,66; CI: 1,03-2,70; p = 0,039) remained associated with depression in the final model. For anxiety, the only variable that remained associated was "intermediate family income" (aOR: 2,24; CI: 1,39-3,62; p = 0,001). As for stress, only “practicing some type of sport/physical exercise only 3 to 6 times a week” (aOR: 2.25; CI: 1.13-4.47; p = 0.020). It is concluded that there was a high prevalence of the three outcomes studied and that these were associated with the thought of quitting the course. Only with depression did the association remain for a lower or no belief/practice of any religion as well as for a lower income range; just for anxiety, the intermediate family income and just for stress, the lesser practice of physical exercise.