The novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has spread rapidly all over the world. This large-scale infectious public health event has imposed enormous pressure on Governments, medical and healthcare providers, and the general public. There have been reports on the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the general public, patients, medical staff, children, and older adults. However, no detailed study on the mental health status of Dental College teaching faculty, postgraduate

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... ts, interns, and undergraduates in Kerala, India, has been undertaken. Aim: This study assessed the anxiety level of faculty members, postgraduates, interns, and undergraduates during an epidemic and explored factors influencing their anxiety, and also compared the anxiety level between faculty members, postgraduates, interns, and undergraduates. Materials and methods: Assessment of the mental health of the participants during the COVID-19 outbreak was done by using structured questionnaire, and the participants also responded to a 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7). Data analysis was done with SPSS Version 21.0, and the Statistical test used was the Chi-square test. Result: We found that faculty members experienced a high level of moderate anxiety compared with other participants, which was statistically significant (p <0.05). Participants who had children had moderate anxiety which was statistically significant compared to participants with no children. Most (64.1%) of the participants are worried about the current COVID situation. More than 90% of the participants feel that the dental training will be compromised. Conclusion: The COVID-19 scenario has caused mental and emotional stress among the dental professionals as is with any other field of health. The mental health of dental professionals in colleges is significantly affected when faced with public health emergencies, and they require the attention, help, and support of the society, families, and colleges. It is suggested that the government and colleges should collaborate to resolve this problem in order to provide high-quality, timely crisis-oriented psychological services to the vulnerable candidates.