Evaluation of dentists' stress and anxiety levels in the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Aim: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can cause stress, anxiety, and fear, especially in healthcare workers as it has a high risk of transmission. The aim of this study was to investigate the levels of stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic among dentists working in our country. Methodology: The study included 164 dentists. Sociodemographic data and the stress and anxiety levels of the individuals who participated in the study were recorded. The COVID-19 Stress Scale and the Perceived Stress Scale-10 were used for evaluation of the stress levels, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 was used to evaluate the anxiety levels. All data were considered statistically significant at p 0.05), the COVID-19 stress levels were found to be lower in the normalization process (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused stress and anxiety in dentists and has affected female dentists more than male dentists. In addition, working during the pandemic process can benefit dentists by helping to reduce the stress caused by the pandemic.