Hopelessness and related factors among students of dentistry: A cross-sectional analytical study

Abstract

Objective: This cross-sectional analytical study investi-gated hopelessness and related factors among dentistry students, with the ultimate goal of providing evidence for effective interventions to increase professional motivation and satisfaction. Material and Met-hods: Of all students attending a selected school of dentistry, data were gathered from 537 students (71.2%), using a standard questionnaire and the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS). The authors used the SPSS ver. 23 for descriptive and analytical statistics; hopelessness status was further modelled using logistic regression. Results: The authors examined data and using BHS scores and classification, hopelessness status was found as “minimal”, “mild”, “moderate”, and “severe” in 51.0%, 35.9%, 10.8% and 2.2% of the participants, respectively. Dichotomi-zing hopelessness at BHS score of ≤3: in final logistic model, higher paternal education (OR=1.58; 95% CI=1.08-2.33), and absence of hobbies (OR=2.39; 95% CI=1.33-4.29); mismatch of education with student’s professional expectations (OR=2.33; 95% CI=1.59-3.40) and having thoughts on leaving school at any time ((OR=2.41; 95% CI=1.64-3.54) were found positively associated with higher level of hopelessness, controlling for gender and grade. Conclusion: Hopelessness is fairly common among dental students. Increasing awareness of students on educational curricula and career options, together with ensuring acquisition of/support for different hobbies can be useful as preventive measures. Students with despair regarding their education or a wish to leave school at one point should be prioritized in interventions.