2017 Volume 33 Issue 3 Pages 158-166
Abstract The aim of the present research was to clarify the relationship of personality and academic performance with changes in student anxiety levels during the clinical training of dental hygienists. The research subjects were 94 dental hygienist students (members of the school’s A class and B class). Changes in anxiety levels over time were measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-JYZ (STAI). Additionally, the relationship between changes in anxiety levels on one hand, and student personality (Maudsley Personality Inventory) and academic performance on the other, was analyzed. The measurements were carried out before the start of clinical observation, before the start of clinical training, during training, and after completion of training.
The average values for STAI trait-anxiety and state-anxiety were higher before clinical training than before clinical observation. The rate of high anxiety levels among students with a tendency to neurosis was higher than among students with no such tendency. Anxiety levels were high before clinical observation, before clinical training, and during clinical training. Moreover, the students with the best academic performance had higher rates of high anxiety levels before clinical observation and before clinical training. At each stage of clinical training, psychological support taking account of the characteristics of the individual student is necessary.
