Self‐reported depressive symptoms in dental students: Systematic review with meta‐analysis

Abstract Objective This study aimed to systematically review the literature about the prevalence of self‐reported depressive symptoms in dental students. Methods PUBMED, SCOPUS, and EMBASE databases were search up to January 2020 with the following focused questions: “What is the prevalence of self‐reported depression symptom in dental students?” and “Are sex and years of educational training associated with self‐reported depressive symptom in dental students?”. Observational studies that applied a questionnaire assessing depression were eligible. Standard mean differences (SMD) and pooled odds ratios (OR) were calculated for the questionnaires’ scores and self‐reported depressive symptom, respectively. Results Fifty‐eight studies were included, and 15 different questionnaires were used. The prevalence of self‐reported depressive symptoms/at least mild depression ranged from 2.75% to 89.84%, and the pooled overall prevalence was 29% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 26–34). Meta‐analysis showed significantly lower scores in the questionnaires for self‐reported depressive symptoms of male students (SMD: −0.22; 95% CI: −0.42 – −0.03). Conversely, no significant difference was detected for the OR of self‐reported depressive symptom in the comparison between sex (OR: 1.11 – 95% CI: 0.77–1.62). Similarly, no significant difference was observed for the different school years regardless of the analytical strategy used. Conclusion It was concluded that female dental students presented more self‐reported depressive symptoms, but no difference is demonstrated during the years of dental education.