Perception of Academic Stressors Among Dental Undergraduate Students

OBJECTIVE: Present study was conducted to assess the perceived academic sources of stress among undergraduate dental students and determine its association with gender, year of study, pre-university education and accommodation. METHODOLOGY: This study was conducted in dental section, Islamabad Medical and Dental college, Islamabad from July to November 2016. BDS students were asked to rate their perceived stress on four point Likert scale of modified version of Dental Environment Stress (DES) questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were applied to find the mean scores and SD on all items. Using SPSS v.21, Kruskal Wallis test was used to compare stress levels among different undergraduate professional years and Mann-Whitney U test was applied to determine the association and stress sources and demographic variables. RESULTS: A total of 172/200 participants responded (86%) to the survey. Overall stress in undergraduate dental students was in moderate range. Majority of students (93%) reported that syllabus load was either stressful or very stressful (3.53±0.64), 85% students reported lack of relaxation time as stressful or very stressful (3.42±0.86) and fear of failing was reported as stressful or very stressful by 82.5% (3.34±0.87). When stress scores of all classes were compared third year reported more mean stress scores than other years (2.50±0.50). Females were more stressed compared to males with mean score of (2.37±0.39), students living at home were more stressed than hosteilites (2.38±0.38) and those with GCE A-levels had higher stress (2.40±0.38) compared to HSC background students. Academic performance was the most stressful of the five stress domains (3.07±0.74). CONCLUSION: Syllabus load followed by lack of time for relaxation and fear of failing were the most perceived sources of stress. Academic performance was the most stressful of the five stress domains and third year BDS was the most stressed class. KEY WORDS: Dental Education; Dental Students; Psychological Stress, Stressor, Undergraduate,.

Applying Boundary Element Simulation to Generate Stress-Based Fracture Drivers: A Case Study for the Montney Unconventional Oil/Gas Play in Western Canada Basin

Natural fracture distribution is critical to the hydrocarbon production from the Early Triassic Montney unconventional oil and gas play. The formation underwent several tectonic events, creating a unique natural fracture system. Identifying tectonic events and their stress field evolution is an import component in fracture system modeling and prediction. The objective of this paper is to identify the evolution of paleo-stress domains, to establish related tectonic models, and to generate the drivers for fracture network modeling which will aid in reservoir understanding and overall play development. Compared with other geomechanical approaches, the boundary element method (BEM) is better suited for the structural characteristics in the study area. Hence, the corresponding boundary element simulation (BES) was applied for the evolution of the paleo-stress domains. The methodology is a combination of 3D BEM and Monte Carlo simulations. The inputs include seismic interpreted faults and natural fractures from Formation Microimager logs. After applying the methodology, several best fit realizations were calculated, and the admissible paleo-stress domains were characterized by the tectonic models which are consistent with the regional tectonic evolution of the formation. The study area is about 400 km2 located at northeast British Columbia in the Western Canada Basin. The main structural features are the thrust and back-thrust faults, forming different fault blocks without any significant deformation structures. The Montney formation within the study area underwent several tectonic events: (1) regime of terrane collision, indentation and lateral escape during end of Middle Jurassic to Middle Cretaceous; (2) regime of left-lateral transpression dominated by strike-slip during end of Late Cretaceous and Paleocene; and (3) regime of right-lateral transtension dominated by strike-slip during end of Early and Middle Eocene which is maintained till present day. Three major stress domains were identified in the study area by the application of the BES method, one reverse event and two strike-slip events, representing paleo and present-day stress domains. These stress domains are consistent with the regional tectonic evolution history of the foreland basin. The stress field parameters, such as stress ratio and maximum horizontal stress azimuth, are consistent. The derived tectonic models are shown to be reliable drivers for the subsequent fracture modeling and geomechanics study.

The relationship between stress, trait emotional intelligence and mental health amongst Gaza’s basic-year medical students during the COVID-19 outbreak

Background This study investigates the relationship between exposure to stress, trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) and mental health problems (anxiety and depression symptoms) amongst basic-year medical students during COVID-19. The sample consists of 379 basic-year medical students. Off them, 160 (42.4%) were male and 218 (57.5%) were female. The following measures were used in the study: The Medical Student Stressor Questionnaire (MSSQ), Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire—Short Form (TEIQue-ASF), The anxiety symptoms scale and the depression scale. Results The majority of students reported high to severe level ARS and mild to moderate DRS. Female students showed higher levels of ARS, TLRS, SRS, GARS and anxiety symptoms compared to male ones. Moreover, students with higher levels of academic performance reported lower levels of ARS and DRS, higher levels of trait EI and lower levels of anxiety and depression symptoms. In addition, trait EI has a significant negative association with anxiety and depression symptoms and stress domains (ARS, IRS, TLRS, SRS, DRS, GARS) and total stress. Finally, stress domains are positively correlated with anxiety and depression symptoms. Conclusion Basic-year medical students in the Gaza Strip are exposed to stressful events which aggravate the effect of exposure and cause higher levels of anxiety and depression symptoms.

Assessment of Psychological Stress among Quarantined COVID-19 Patients

Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been causing a worldwide pandemic since the end of 2019. This study looked at the mental health of COVID-19 patients who had been quarantined. This cross-sectional study included fifty COVID - 19 patients who were under quarantine. Online self-reported questionnaires were used in the study. Demographic data and an inventory of pandemic-related stress factors (PRSF) were used to analyse COVID-19-related stress domains. The quarantined COVID - 19 patients had pandemic related stress among themselves. Lack of knowledge about infectiveness and virulence (78%), sleep disorders (94%), financial concerns (92 %) and feeling isolated and avoidance by others (90%) were the most common stressors. Eighty two percent of the patients felt that they were being protected by the family and relatives and only 48% felt that the government is taking the responsibility of protecting them. The findings show that COVID-19 patients in quarantine reported severe psychological distress. As a result, this study urge that required measures be taken to alleviate COVID-19 patients stress, with special focus paid to patients perceptions of stigma and coping techniques.

Well-being, Interventions and Support during Epidemics (WISE): Protocol for a qualitative longitudinal study of older adults’ experiences during COVID-19

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has the potential to trigger multiple stress domains and lead to long-term repercussions in an individual’s quality of life, health, and well-being. Stressors from the pandemic are likely to be experienced in many ways by older adults with heterogeneous life experiences and supports available. In this context, it is necessary to tease out the underlying mechanisms leading to positive and negative well-being and mental health across interdependent individual, social and environmental factors. The aim of the present study is to explore community-dwelling older adults’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular focus on mental health and psychosocial well-being. Methods: An exploratory longitudinal qualitative study will be conducted with data collected through written submissions, narrative interviews and go-along interviews with older adults living in Irish community settings. To enable the exploration of participants’ responses to the evolving social, economic and environmental circumstances, data collection will take during the implementation of public health restrictions and once these are eased and the vaccination program is rolled out. Framework analysis will be carried out to identify data themes, linkages, and explanations within Bronfenbrenner’s socio-ecological model. Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval has been granted by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Research Ethics Committee (REC202011028). Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journal publications, presentations at relevant conferences, and in consultation with Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) contributors. A lay summary of findings and infographic will be distributed to multiple stakeholders including our PPI panel, older people, caregivers, community organizations, charities, and media.

P–475 The mediator role of infertility-related psychological inflexibility in the relationship between infertility-stress domains and psychopathological symptoms

Study question Does infertility-related psychological inflexibility play a role in the relationship between infertility-related stress domains and psychopathological symptoms (depression, anxiety)? Summary answer Infertility-related psychological inflexibility mediated the relationship between infertility-related stress domains and depression. There were no effects between infertility-related stress domains and anxiety symptoms. What is known already The emotional impact of infertility may include anxiety and depressive symptoms and these seem to be related to stress. Beliefs about the importance of parenthood (need for parenthood) and rejection of a childfree lifestyle, as well as the impact of infertility in several life areas (social, sexual, and relationship) are conceptually considered two infertility-related stress domains. Although the relationship between infertility-related stress and psychopathological symptoms has been previously recognized, the mechanism underlying this relationship remains undetermined. Psychological inflexibility has been pointed as a core transdiagnostic process contributing to the development and maintenance of several psychological difficulties. Study design, size, duration Cross-sectional study. Participants were recruited through the Associação Portuguesa de Fertilidade (patients’ association). Inclusion criteria were age (18 years or older) and an infertility medical diagnosis. Data were collected online through self-report instruments between June and December 2019. Participants/materials, setting, methods: A sample comprising 287 women pursuing infertility medical treatment (at different stages) completed online a sociodemographic questionnaire, the depression and anxiety subscales of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS – 21), the Psychological Inflexibility Scale - Infertility (PIS-I), and the Fertility Problem Inventory (FPI). Descriptive and correlational analyses were computed through SPSS v. 26, and path analyses were estimated in AMOS (v. 24) with bootstrap procedures (2000 samples). Main results and the role of chance Correlation analyses revealed that FPI domains (importance of parenthood and impact on life domains), depressive and anxiety symptoms were significantly and positively associated with PIS-I. A mediation analysis was conducted to examine whether PIS-I mediated the effect of FPI domains on depressive and anxiety symptoms. Paths showing not to be statistically significant were removed. This model showed a good fit to the empirical data: χ2(4) = 1.59, p = .810, CMIN/DF = .40; TLI = 1.00; CFI = 1.00; RMSEA = .00, 95% CI = .00 to .06. The effect of the importance of parenthood on depressive symptoms revealed to be both direct (b = .03; SEb = .01; Z = 2.46; p = .014; β= .15) and partially mediated by the PIS-I (b = .31, 95% CI = .24 to .37, p = .018). The effect of the impact of infertility in several life areason depressive symptoms was fully mediated by PIS-I (b = .15, 95% CI = .10 to .21, p = .008). This model explained 43% of the total variance of depressive symptoms. No significant effects were found for anxiety symptoms. Limitations, reasons for caution Participants were at different stages of their fertility treatment. Data collection was completed online and this tends to recruit participants with more access to online platforms. Results rely on cross-sectional and self-report data. Wider implications of the findings: Results suggest the relevance of targeting processes encompassing psychological inflexibility, such as cognitive fusion, experiential avoidance, conceptualized self, conceptualized past and future, lack of values clarity, and inability to commit with values-driven actions, in psychological interventions designed for women with infertility. Trial registration number N/A.

Well-being, Interventions and Support during Epidemics (WISE): Protocol for a qualitative longitudinal study of older adults’ experiences during COVID-19

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has the potential to trigger multiple stress domains and lead to long-term repercussions in an individual’s quality of life, health and well-being. Stressors from the pandemic are likely to be experienced in many ways by older adults with heterogeneous life experiences and supports available. In this context, it is necessary to tease out the underlying mechanisms leading to positive and negative well-being and mental health across interdependent individual, social and environmental factors. The aim of the present study is to explore community-dwelling older adults’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular focus on mental health and psychosocial well-being. Methods: An exploratory longitudinal qualitative study will be conducted with data collected through written submissions, sitting interviews and walk along interviews with older adults living in Irish community settings. Data collection will take place 3 to 10 weeks apart to enable the exploration of individuals’ responses to the evolving social, economic and environmental circumstances derived from the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland. An iterative thematic analysis will be carried out to identify data themes, linkages, and explanations within a socio-ecological framework. Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval has been granted by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Research Ethics Committee (REC202011028). Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journal publications, oral presentations at relevant conferences, and in consultation with Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) contributors. A lay summary of findings and infographic will be distributed to multiple stakeholders including our PPI panel, older people, caregivers, community organisations, charities and media.

Lesions in the right Rolandic operculum are associated with self-rating affective and apathetic depressive symptoms for post-stroke patients

Stroke survivors majorly suffered from post-stroke depression (PSD). The PSD diagnosis is commonly performed based on the clinical cut-off for psychometric inventories. However, we hypothesized that PSD involves spectrum symptoms (e.g., apathy, depression, anxiety, and stress domains) and severity levels. Therefore, instead of using the clinical cut-off, we suggested a data-driven analysis to interpret patient spectrum conditions. The patients’ psychological conditions were categorized in an unsupervised manner using the k-means clustering method, and the relationships between psychological conditions and quantitative lesion degrees were evaluated. This study involved one hundred sixty-five patient data; all patients were able to understand and perform self-rating psychological conditions (i.e., no aphasia). Four severity levels—low, low-to-moderate, moderate-to-high, and high—were observed for each combination of two psychological domains. Patients with worse conditions showed the significantly greater lesion degree at the right Rolandic operculum (part of Brodmann area 43). The dissimilarities between stress and other domains were also suggested. Patients with high stress were specifically associated with lesions in the left thalamus. Impaired emotion processing and stress-affected functions have been frequently related to those lesion regions. Those lesions were also robust and localized, suggesting the possibility of an objective for predicting psychological conditions from brain lesions.

The Effects of Participating in a Research Team During the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Educational Routine and Mental Health of Medical Students: a Study Protocol for a Web Based Survey. (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has provided social isolation with a potential negative impact on the educational routine, including the suspension of face-to-face appointments, and mental health of medical students. The Mario Pinotti II study (MPII) is a 24-week observational study with scheduled telephone calls every 2 weeks to verify the occurrence of the COVID-19 in rheumatic patients on hydroxychloroquine chronically (from 29th, March, 2020 to 30th, September, 2020). The effects of voluntary participation in a research project, which foresees interaction by telephone contact with patients, professors, rheumatologists, and colleagues on the daily life and mental health of medical students requires evaluation. OBJECTIVE Objectives: Considering that medical students are professionals in training with a high level of responsibility to handle emotional and physical aspects related to several diseases, this study has the aim of evaluating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and participation in the MPII study, on the educational routine and mental health of medical students. METHODS Methods: A web-based survey was carried out to perform a cross-sectional comparative assessment between medical students participating in the MPII study and other their colleagues who are not involved in this research project, matched to sex, age and medical school. The web questionnaire was developed by a panel composed of graduate medical students, rheumatologists, medical school professors, and a psychology professor and it included details on demographic and life habits data, as well as evaluation of participants' impression about the MPII study and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their educational routine and medical training. In addition, the depressive, anxiety, and stress domains were evaluated using the DASS-21 (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale), Brazilian version, and, lately, the scores were grouped as low, moderate and high risk for mental distress. This project was approved by the Federal University of São Paulo Ethics Committee (CAAE: 30246120.3.1001.5505). RESULTS Results: Data collection was applied for all 2 medical student groups from July 20th to August 31st, 2020. Data extraction is ongoing. Analysis is scheduled to start after extraction is completed. CONCLUSIONS Conclusions: This study will bring light into the effects of participating in a research project on depressive, anxiety, and stress domains by using the DASS-21 (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale) in large sampling of medical students and the evaluation of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students educational routine and medical training. CLINICALTRIAL This is not a clinical trial.

Root and semi-phrasal compounds: A syntactic approach

We present a syntactic account of the derivation of two types of attributivenominal compounds in Spanish, Russian and Greek. These include right-headed “root” compounds, which exhibit more “word”-like properties and single stress domains, and left-headed “semi-phrasal” compounds with more phrasal properties and independent stress domains for the two compound members. We propose that both compound structures are formed on a small clause predicate phrase, with their different properties derived from the merger of the predicate member of the small clause as a root or as a larger nominal unit with additional functional projections. The proposed structures provide an explanation of observed lexical integrity effects, as well as specific predictions of patterns of compound formation crosslinguistically.