Impact of COVID-19 on Depression, Anxiety and Stress of Dental Students: A Systematic Review.

Aim: To determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on depression, anxiety and stress of dental students by way of a systematic review.

Materials and methods: This review was conducted following the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews. An electronic search was conducted for the period January 2020 to February 2023. Quality assessment was evaluated in accordance with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Frequency distribution was calculated for stress, anxiety and depression associated with students' gender, year of study and living circumstances.

Results: Twenty-three studies were eligible for inclusion in the final review. Variables contributing to stress, anxiety and depression of dental students include gender, year of study and living circumstances. Being female is the most significant factor impacting on mental health.

Conclusions: Results emphasise the need for dental institutions to develop targeted intervention programmes for more vulnerable students. Failure to act in a future pandemic event could result in ongoing psychological issues that persist following graduation, resulting in unfit dentists who may potentially affect the quality of the dental workforce.