TUSCALOOSA, Alabama: At the height of COVID-19 pandemic transmission among the general public, dental health care workers reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety, according to research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham's School of Dentistry.
This is the first recorded study undertaken in the United States to investigate the mental health of practising dentists and dental hygienists during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Mental health and dental health care workers
As per the study, 17.7 per cent of DHCWs reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety, 10.7 per cent reported experiencing symptoms of sorrow, and 8.3 per cent reported experiencing symptoms of both anxiety and depression during the course of the one-year study that took place between June 2021 and June 2022. At each of the time points that were surveyed, dental hygienists reported experiencing higher rates of anxiety and depression symptoms than dentists.
Mental health after vaccine administration
In addition, this study is the first one to investigate the connection between the administration of vaccines and mental health. After receiving the COVID-19 vaccination, the researchers noticed that overall, the symptoms of anxiety experienced by the volunteers lessened. Only 14.1% of dental health professionals who were fully vaccinated reported concern, compared to 20.6% of unvaccinated dental health care workers who wanted to be immunised.
Mental health promotion can help overcome challenges
Maria L. Geisinger, DDS, a professor in the UAB School of Dentistry and the lead author of the study, expressed their objectives for performing the study as follows:
"Through our research, we aimed to better understand the early impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the mental health of DHCWs and work to support all members of the dentistry profession. We can better support our colleagues and their ability to care for patients by concentrating on mental well-being through training programmes and the building of support infrastructure to assist DHCWs who may be facing mental health difficulties. Mental well-being can be improved through education and the establishment of infrastructure for its promotion."
The study titled "US dental health care workers' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic" has recently been published in the Journal of the American Dental Association.
