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Prevalence of depression among Iraqi dentistry students during COVID-19 returning to onsite learning: A cross-sectional study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 July 2023

G. Alhashem ,
A. A. R. Abbas ,
S. A. J. Ali  and
A. Almhanna
G. Alhashem
Affiliation:
1Pharmacy, AlSafwa University College
A. A. R. Abbas
Affiliation:
2College of Dentistry/ University of Kerbala, Kerbala, Iraq
S. A. J. Ali
Affiliation:
1Pharmacy, AlSafwa University College
A. Almhanna*
Affiliation:
1Pharmacy, AlSafwa University College
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, students were vulnerable to mental health issues and dentistry students were no exception. All Iraqi universities were transitioning back to face-to-face learning in the last year. Acclimatization with all pandemic regulations that schools apply might increase the vulnerability to depression.

Objectives

The current study aims to assess the levels of depression among Iraqi dentistry students after transitioning from online to onsite learning during the pandemic period.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted online after transitioning from online to the onsite learning method during the pandemic period. Sociodemographic data and Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) were included in the questionnaire.

Results

A total of 307 respondents, 216 (70.4%) female and 91 (29.6%) male, 276 (90%) live with family, 20 (6.5%) live with friends and 11 (3.5%) live alone, 268 (87.3%) of student claimed that post-COVID-19 regulations face to face learning is more stressful while 39 (12.7%) answered no difference. 39 (12.7%) of dentistry student with normal level of depression, 199 (38.8%) have mild depression 101 (32.9%) moderate depression, 32 (10.4%) moderately severe, 16 (5.2%) severe. Depression level and students’ perception of teaching mode transition showed a significant association (p<0.05).However, there are no significant associations between gender, living conditions, or dentistry stages with depression levels (p>0.05).

Conclusions

A high prevalence of depression symptoms among Iraqi dentistry students was found during onsite learning, along with all educational institutions’ pandemic rules and regulations. Psychological supporting preventive programs are needed to apply for supporting students’ mental health.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 66 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 31st European Congress of Psychiatry , March 2023 , pp. S149 - S150
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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