Mental health and wellbeing promotion in teaching and learning for dental students in Australian universities: a scoping review
1
College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Current policy, frameworks and governance for the mental health and wellbeing of dental students in Australian universities require examination to support the development of settings-based mental health promotion and prevention strategies in dental education in Australia.1,2 This scoping review aims to explore current knowledge in providing mental health and wellbeing promotion in teaching and learning for dental students in Australia.
METHODS:
The JBI methodology for scoping reviews was followed.3 Databases (Medline, CINAHL, ProQuest, A+Education, PsycInfo, Scopus, DOSS and Web of Science) and search engines (Google and Google Scholar) were searched for relevant documents in English from 2010 to the present, using a comprehensive search strategy. The reference lists of included studies were also searched. A data extraction tool was created using Covidence to extract data from the included sources.
RESULTS:
Thirty sources met the inclusion criteria for this scoping review.1,2,4-31 Data analysis used an inductive approach to create a coding framework. The data was grouped into five key themes: legislation and standards; policy, frameworks and reports; university framework or strategy; primary research; and facilitators and barriers.
CONCLUSIONS:
Mental health and wellbeing promotion in teaching and learning in dental students is influenced by existing frameworks, policy and governance, and clinical education and pedagogies. A settings-based approach should be combined with individual strategies that utilise identified facilitators to improve dental students’ mental health and wellbeing. This scoping review highlights gaps in legislation, consideration of stakeholder concerns, implementation of university mental health frameworks or strategy, accessibility to university evaluation data, and methodology to incorporate mental health and wellbeing promotion into teaching and learning as further areas for research. This area is under-researched and under-evaluated in Australia, and more research is needed to support dental students' mental health and wellbeing now and into the future.
Current policy, frameworks and governance for the mental health and wellbeing of dental students in Australian universities require examination to support the development of settings-based mental health promotion and prevention strategies in dental education in Australia.1,2 This scoping review aims to explore current knowledge in providing mental health and wellbeing promotion in teaching and learning for dental students in Australia.
METHODS:
The JBI methodology for scoping reviews was followed.3 Databases (Medline, CINAHL, ProQuest, A+Education, PsycInfo, Scopus, DOSS and Web of Science) and search engines (Google and Google Scholar) were searched for relevant documents in English from 2010 to the present, using a comprehensive search strategy. The reference lists of included studies were also searched. A data extraction tool was created using Covidence to extract data from the included sources.
RESULTS:
Thirty sources met the inclusion criteria for this scoping review.1,2,4-31 Data analysis used an inductive approach to create a coding framework. The data was grouped into five key themes: legislation and standards; policy, frameworks and reports; university framework or strategy; primary research; and facilitators and barriers.
CONCLUSIONS:
Mental health and wellbeing promotion in teaching and learning in dental students is influenced by existing frameworks, policy and governance, and clinical education and pedagogies. A settings-based approach should be combined with individual strategies that utilise identified facilitators to improve dental students’ mental health and wellbeing. This scoping review highlights gaps in legislation, consideration of stakeholder concerns, implementation of university mental health frameworks or strategy, accessibility to university evaluation data, and methodology to incorporate mental health and wellbeing promotion into teaching and learning as further areas for research. This area is under-researched and under-evaluated in Australia, and more research is needed to support dental students' mental health and wellbeing now and into the future.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
