Communication skills and their association with depression, anxiety, and stress among dental students in Ahvaz city, Iran: a cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Purpose: Dentists' communication skills are a vital component of facilitating the provision of better health information for patients, and meeting their needs and expectations. High levels of stress, anxiety, and depression - caused by work pressure, non-cooperative patients, and financial issues - may be associated with dentist-patient communication. This study assessed communication skills and their relationship with depression, anxiety, and stress among dental students.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 210 third year and above dentistry students at Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medi-cal Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran, in 2024. The participants were selected using a census sampling method. They all completed the Queendom Communication Skills Test-Revised (CSTR) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - 21 Items (DASS-21). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 27.

Results: The mean (± SD) communication skills score was 104.20 ± 13.17. The logistic regression model revealed that anxiety and depression were positively associated with some components of communication skills, including emotional control, listening skills, and the ability to receive and send messages. In contrast, the level of stress was only associated with assertive communication.

Conclusions: The results indicated a high level of communication skills among the dental students. However, it is recommended that interventions be designed, especially to improve depression and anxiety, and to examine their impact on enhancing communication skills.