Depression among the Non-Native International Undergraduate Students Studying Dentistry in Bangladesh

Abstract

Background Bangladesh has been attracting international students on various subjects in recent times. Every year students from different parts of the world come to study undergraduate and postgraduate courses, mostly at private universities in Bangladesh. This study evaluates the depression status among international students who are studying dentistry in Bangladesh. Methods This cross-sectional survey was conducted among International undergraduate dental students who enrolled in the Bachelor of Dental Surgery program in nine public and private dental colleges in Bangladesh. A total of 206 students completed the survey, and CES-D 10 items Likert scale questionnaire was used for data collection. The Cronbach alpha for CES-D 10 scale items for this population is 0.812. Results The majority of the students (79.5%) are below 24 years of age, and students who cannot communicate well in Bengali (Bangla), about 60% of them have experienced depression. About 77.3% (p< 0.00) of the international students having financial difficulties exhibited depression. The international students who went through financial problems were two times more likely to suffer from depression (OR=2.38; p-value <0.01). Conclusion This study tried to highlight the struggles faced by international students in Bangladesh studying dentistry. It is evident from the findings that several factors influence students' mental well-being during demanding dental education years.

Psychological Distress among Bangladeshi Dental Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The pandemic has posed a challenge to healthcare workers including dental clinicians around the world, prompting a variety of responses. Medical and Dental schooling are widely seen as demanding environments, with students experiencing higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression than classmates studying other subjects [10]. Obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Dentistry is a time-consuming process that demands extensive study and expertise of the discipline.…”