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Mental health: Workplace related stress claims signal a profession under pressure

BDJ In Practice volume 35, pages 14–15 (2022)Cite this article

Isabel Johnston looks at the landscape of mental health in the dental profession

Mental health has long been in the spotlight. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly two-thirds of UK adults reported having experienced a mental health problem.1 As a profession, the psychosocial working conditions of both community dentists and general dental practitioners (GDPs) place them at higher risk of occupational stress compared to the wider UK working population.2 But what are incapacity statistics showing? And how do we work with the profession to address the problem and support professionals back to work?

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References

  1. Mental Health Foundation. Surviving or Thriving? The state of the UK's mental health. 2017. Online information available at: www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/surviving-or-thriving-state-uks-mental-health (accessed May 2022).

  2. Larbie J, Kemp M and Whitehead P. The mental Health and Well-being of UK Dentists: A Qualitative Study. British Dental Association, 2017.

  3. House of Commons Committees. How we tackle staff burnout in the health and care sectors? 2021. Online information available at https://houseofcommons.shorthandstories.com/health-and-care-staff-burnout/index.html (accessed May 2022).

  4. Rada R E, Johnston-Leong C. Stress, burnout, anxiety and depression among dentists. J Am Dent Assoc 2004; 135: 788-794.

  5. Toon M, Collin V, Whitehead P et al. An analysis of stress and burnout in UK general dental practitioners: subdimensions and causes. Br Dent J 2019; 226: 125-130.

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  7. Owen C, Seddon C, Clarke K, Bysouth T and Johnston D. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of dentists in Wales. Br Dent J 2022; 232: 44-54.

  8. World Health Organisation. Burn-out and 'occupation phenomenon': International Classification of Diseases. 2019. Online information available at www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases (accessed May 2022).

  9. British Dental Association. A dental profession's mental health crisis: what needs to happen. 2020. Online information available https://bda.org/news-centre/blog/the-dental-professions-mental-health-crisis (accessed May 2022).

  10. British Dental Association. Press release: BDA leads on solution to support dentists' wellbeing and mental health. 2020. Online information available at: www.bda.org/news-centre/press-releases/Pages/BDA-leads-on-solutions-to-support-dentists-wellbeing-and-mental-health.aspx (accessed May 2022).

  11. Plessas A, Paisi M, Bryce M et al. Mental Health and Wellbeing in Dentistry: A Rapid Evidence Assessment. General Dental Council, 2021.

  12. Gallagher J, Colonio-Salazar F and White S. Supporting dentists' health and wellbeing - a qualitative study of coping strategies in 'normal times'. Br Dent J 2021; doi.org/10.1038/s41415-021-3205-7.

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  1. IJ Communications, Hampshire, UK

    Isabel Johnston

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  1. Isabel Johnston
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Correspondence to Isabel Johnston.

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Johnston, I. Mental health: Workplace related stress claims signal a profession under pressure. BDJ In Pract 35, 14–15 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41404-022-1154-8

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