KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS OF ATELOPHOBIA AMONG UNDERGRADUATE DENTAL STUDENTS IN CHENNAI- A QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY
Abstract
Background: Normal fear is often referred to as an ordinary response we give to a real or imagined threat. Atelophobia is the fear of imperfection. It is also referred to as extreme perfectionism. Perfectionism is a personality characterised by a high standard of performance and a tendency to become hypercritical about themselves. Therefore, it is necessary to assess people with atelophobia and perfectionism to create awareness about it.
Aim: To assess atelophobia among dental students through a cross-sectional study
Materials and method: A cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted among undergraduate dental students. The study sample included 100 subjects. The required data were collected using a specially designed questionnaire. The data were analysed using SPSS software, version 23 and results were interpreted using the chi-square test.
Result: Majority (70%) of the respondents reported that they have the fear of not doing something right and 66% of the study population avoid situations where they might make mistakes. There is a significant relationship between years of study and the anxious feeling about imperfection (p=0.01). A similar relation was also observed between the year of study and their reaction to mistakes (p=0.02)
Conclusion: From the present study, it is evident that atelophobia is common among first-year undergraduate dental students. These students should be made aware of the various consequences it leads to and should be given proper counselling to overcome atelophobia and lead a normal life with better mental health.