Original Article

Year : 2024 | Volume : 12 | Issue : 2 | Page : 64-69

Obsessive-compulsive disorder among dental students in Tamil Nadu: A cross sectional study

Parvathy Premnath1*, Gayathri Kannan2, Gayathri Siva2, Fahmitha Sahar. A2 1*, Reader, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Asan Memorial Dental College and Hospital, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu 603105 2 Intern, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Asan Memorial Dental College and Hospital, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu 603105

Address for Correspondence:

Dr. Parvathy Premnath,

Asan Memorial Dental College and Hospital, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu 603105

Email id: - dr.parvathypachat@gmail.com

Abstract

Introduction: A prevalent mental illness that frequently first manifests in the late teens is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This makes university students particularly vulnerable, as they are exposed to a stressful environment filled with various factors that can trigger symptoms of obsessive-compulsive behaviors. Examining the prevalence of OCD and related symptoms among dental students is the aim of the current study.

Materials and methods: This cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu with a sample size of 175 dental students. The students were selected through a convenience sampling method, from June 2024 to December 2024. An anonymous, voluntary online self-administered questionnaire consisting of 18 items on the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised scale (OCI-R) was used to collect data.

Results: 115 out of 175 participants, or 65.7%, were judged to have probable OCD based on the OCI-R Scale utilized in the study. The prevalence of OCD was found to be statistically significantly correlated with both familial history of OCD and academic years (p=<0.001), with the likelihood of developing OCD increasing as academic years increased.

Conclusion: In conclusion, we found that dental students in Chengalpattu have a greater frequency of OCD than the overall community. Higher prevalence was associated with females and dental students during their internship. To offer dental students psychological support, it is necessary to continuously evaluate them for OCD.

Financial support and sponsorship

Nil

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest

How to Cite this article: Parvathy Premnath, Gayathri Kannan, Gayathri Siva, Fahmitha Sahar. A. Obsessive-compulsive disorder among dental students in Tamil Nadu: A cross-sectional study. Int J Comm Dent 2024; 12(2); 64 -69. DOI: https://doi.org/10.56501/intjcommunitydent.v12i2.1204