Depression, suicidal ideation, and suicidal behaviors among dental students of Neo-state capital region in India

BACKGROUND

The challenges of dental education place students at high risk of stress. Because dental education is a highly demanding and challenging course, placing heavy demands on the mental resources of the students, making them vulnerable to high levels of stress, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of depression, suicidal ideation, and suicidal behaviors in dental students.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study was done on a convenience sample of 388 dental students in a teaching dental institution. Data were collected using standard, prevalidated, self-administered questionnaires (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Suicidal Behaviours Questionnaire-Revised [SBQ-R]). Analysis was done using SPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, and logistic regression were performed.

RESULTS

At least half of the students were in major depression with different levels of severity. When students from different years were analyzed, majority from each year fell under II and III categories (P < 0.001). Most of the students reported that they do not have any suicidal ideation or behavior (SBQ-R). Nearly 16% of the students either presented the threat of suicidal attempt or likelihood of suicidal behavior in future. Almost 13% of the dental students thought of killing themselves in the past year for at least two times. Around 16% of them expressed to someone about their thought of committing suicide.

CONCLUSION

Even though depression and suicidal tendencies were not prominent in dental students, there is a need to shed light on those who responded positively and take necessary reforms to relieve academic stress.

Assessment of the Status of National Oral Health Policy in India

BACKGROUND

National oral health policy was conscripted by the Indian Dental Association (IDA) in 1986 and was accepted as an integral part of National Health Policy (NHP) by the Central Council of Health and Family Welfare in one of its conferences in the year 1995. Objectives of this paper were to find out the efforts made or going on towards its execution, its current status and recent oral health-related affairs or programs, if any.

METHODS

Literature search was done using the institutional library, web-based search engines like 'Google' and 'PubMed' and also by cross referencing. It yielded 108 articles, of which 50 were excluded as they were not pertinent to the topic. Twenty-four were of global perspective rather than Indian and hence were not taken into account and finally 34 articles were considered for analyses. Documents related to central and state governments of India were also considered.

RESULTS

All the articles considered for analysis were published within the past 10 years with gradual increase in number which depicts the researchers' increasing focus towards oral health policy. Criticisms, suggestions and recommendations regarding national oral health programs, dental manpower issues, geriatric dentistry, public health dentistry, dental insurance, oral health inequality, and public-private partnerships have taken major occupancies in the articles. Proposals like "model for infant and child oral health promotion" and "oral health policy phase 1 for Karnataka" were among the initiatives towards national oral health policy.

CONCLUSION

The need for implementation of the drafted oral health policy with modification that suits the rapidly changing oral health system of this country is inevitable.