Impactos da pandemia covid-19 na saúde mental de estudantes de odontologia em instituições no interior de Pernambuco

Abstract

To evaluate the stress and anxiety levels of dental students from to institutions, public and private, in the countryside of Pernambuco, in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. Material and method: A cross-sectional descriptive study with a quantitative approach was carried out, through the application of an on-line survey of sociodemographic data and the Anxiety, Depression and Stress Scale (EADS-21). The data were properly stored in order to ensure the secrecy and confidentiality of the information obtained. Results: A total of 227 students participated of the study, with a greater participation of females (182). The average age of the subjects was 21.5 years, with 3.1 of standard deviation, minimum age of 17 years and maximum of 42 years. The highest mean values were obtained in Stress (17.7 ± 6.8), followed by Depression (14.1 ± 6.7) and Anxiety (11.2 ± 7.8). Conclusion: The data obtained suggest that the pandemic brought harmful effects to the psychological health of university students, reinforcing the importance of monitoring this condition, making it possible to plan strategies for promotion of mental health, aiming to minimize the negative impacts among the studied population, expanding its actions to other population groups.