Abstract
Background/aim: Understanding the degree of psychological stress experienced by dental students, together with the contributing factors, is important for reducing the adverse effects of stress and improving student well-being. Accordingly, the present study examined psychological distress levels among dental students and compared psychological distress across different academic years. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study included all undergraduate students enrolled in a single 5-year dental faculty in Türkiye during the 2024–2025 academic year. The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) survey was administered to the students and 399 dentistry students filled out the survey completely. Results: Statistically significant differences in K10 scores were observed among the academic years in one-way analysis of variance (p < 0.05). Overall, 283 students (70.9%) experienced moderate-to-severe psychological distress (K10 score of ≥25), including 207 students (51.87%) with severe psychological distress (K10 score of ≥30). Among students with severe psychological distress, 96 (42.66%) were in the preclinical stage and 111 (63.79%) were in the clinical stage. Furthermore, students in the clinical stage had a significantly higher mean K10 score than those in the preclinical stage (independent samples t-test, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Approximately 7 out of 10 students experienced moderate-to-severe psychological distress, while more than half experienced severe psychological distress. These findings indicate that psychological distress is highly prevalent among dental students. Increased psychological distress may adversely affect learning processes and cognitive functioning. Based on previous evidence, persistent psychological distress may also have implications for future clinical performance if appropriate support mechanisms are not implemented.