Factors associated with depression, anxiety and stress among dentists during the COVID-19 pandemic

Prevalence and sociodemographic factors of depression, anxiety and stress in Saudi Arabia: a survey of respiratory therapists

Background

Depression, anxiety and stress are prevalent among healthcare providers but limited data is available regarding respiratory therapists (RTs). This study aimed to assess the prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress, and identify the associated sociodemographic factors among RTs in Saudi Arabia.

Methods

A cross-sectional online survey was distributed to RTs in Saudi Arabia. Data were summarized using frequency and percentages. Stress, anxiety, and depression prevalence rates were expressed as proportions with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The associated factors of stress, anxiety, and depression were subjected to logistic regression.

Results

Overall, 988 (91%) RTs, 661 (66.9%) males, completed the online survey. The prevalence (95% CI) of depression, anxiety and stress among RTs was 81.3% (0.787, 0.837), 89.6% (0.875, 0.914), and 45.5% (0.424, 0.487), respectively. RT staff who were ≥41 years old, divorced, widowed or separated, or had > 10 years of clinical experience were more likely to experience stress. RTs who were (divorced, widowed or separated), did not live with their family, were current smokers, or worked the night shift were more likely to experience anxiety. RTs who were (divorced, widowed or separated), were current smokers, had >10 years of clinical experience were more likely to experience depression.

Conclusion

Stress, anxiety and depression are prevalent among RTs. Several sociodemographic factors are associated with the incidence of stress, anxiety and depression.

Consequences of COVid-19 in Latin American dentists in the first year of the pandemic, the period prior to vaccination campaigns

Objectives

The aim of this investigation was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dentists in Latin America during the initial year of the outbreak, specifically within the timeframe preceding vaccination campaigns. This study determined the various facets in which dentists were affected and exactly what proportion of them was harmed.

Methods

A comprehensive 33 question survey was distributed across 19 Latin American countries after the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic's presence in the region.

Results

There was an absence of statistically significant differences in responses among the surveyed countries in Latin America, with the exception of four questions out of the total 33. Some relevant findings of Latin American were: one in three dental professionals experienced discrimination based on their occupation. Concurrently, three out of four dentists reported initiating new activities to lessen discomfort. Notably, 8.63 % of respondents sought assistance from a psychologist or psychiatrist, while 17.71 % resorted to the consumption of psychoactive substances within the first year of the pandemic.Furthermore, 7.28 % of the professionals indicated that they still had not obtained all the necessary personal protective equipment for their work and 92.05 % disclosing that they personally financed these essential resources. A certain percentage of dentists stated that the quality of care decreased due to the implementation of the new safety measures (40.03 %) or due to their own feelings during patient interactions (23.11 %). Lastly, 38.85 % of dentists contemplated leaving the profession.

Conclusions

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dentists was decidedly adverse, manifesting both in personal and professional fields, despite the diverse measures undertaken by these professionals to mitigate its effects.

A systematic review of dentists' psychological wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background The COVID-19 pandemic presented significant challenges to healthcare workers worldwide, including the effect on the psychological wellbeing of dentists.Aims To evaluate the impact of the early phases of the pandemic on the psychological health, long-term wellbeing and clinical service provision of dentists, as well as the identification of the key risk and protective factors for adverse mental health outcomes (MHOs) in this group.Methods A systematic review of cross-sectional studies (n = 53) from public and private dentistry sectors was employed to delineate the risk and protective factors for adverse MHOs.Results Self-reports from these studies (1 December 2019 to 31 December 2021), involving 45,671 dentists worldwide were analysed. Study findings were classified according to their psychological impact (as risk or protective factors), categorised as 'operational' or 'organisational' and subdivided into 'psychosocial', 'occupational', 'sociodemographic' and 'environmental' elements. A GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations) certainty of evidence score was calculated for all the identified factors.Conclusions This review confirmed the negative impact of the pandemic on the MHOs of dentists worldwide. Pivotal risk factors included fear of infection, transmission to families, lack of personal protective equipment and possible direct contact with infected patients. Enhanced infection control protocols, individual resilience and organisational support were identified as important protective factors.

Salivary Cortisol and Anxiety in Canadian Dentists over 1 Year of COVID-19

The dental profession has endured unprecedented disruption amid COVID-19. Novel stressors have included a high risk of occupational exposure to COVID-19, financial losses, and stricter infection prevention and control requirements. The present study investigated the longitudinal impact of COVID-19 on the stress and anxiety levels of a cohort of Canadian dentists (N = 222) between September 2020 and October 2021. Salivary cortisol was selected as a biomarker of mental stress, and 10 sets of monthly saliva samples (2,131 in total) were self-collected, sent to our laboratory in prepaid courier envelopes, and analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. To assess COVID-19 anxiety, 9 monthly online questionnaires were administered, comprising a general COVID-19 anxiety instrument and 3 items regarding the impact of dentistry-related factors. Bayesian log-normal mixed effect models were fitted to estimate the longitudinal trajectory of salivary cortisol levels and their association with the disease burden of COVID-19 in Canada. After accounting for age, sex, vaccination status, and the diurnal rhythm of cortisol secretion, a modest positive association was found between dentists' salivary cortisol levels and the count of COVID-19 cases in Canada (96% posterior probability). Similarly, the self-reported impact of dentistry-related factors, such as fear of getting COVID-19 from a patient or coworker, was greatest during peaks of COVID-19 waves in Canada; however, general COVID-19 anxiety decreased consistently throughout the study period. Interestingly, at all collection points, the majority of participants were not concerned about personal protective equipment. Overall, participants reported relatively low rates of psychological distress symptoms in relation to COVID-19, a result that should be reassuring for the dental community. Our findings strongly suggest a link between self-reported and biochemical measurements of stress and anxiety in Canadian dentists during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Psychological Impact of COVID-19 in the Setting of Dentistry: A Review Article

The worldwide pandemic has exposed healthcare professionals to a high risk of infection, exacerbating the situation of uncertainty caused by COVID-19. The objective of this review was to evaluate the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental professionals and their patients. A literature review was conducted using Medline-Pubmed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases, excluding systematic reviews, narratives, meta-analyses, case reports, book chapters, short communications, and congress papers. A modified version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to evaluate the quality of the selected studies. The search retrieved 3879 articles, and 123 of these were selected for the review (7 longitudinal and 116 cross-sectional studies). Elevated anxiety levels were observed in dental professionals, especially in younger and female professionals. Except for orthodontic treatments, patients reported a high level of fear that reduced their demand for dentist treatment to emergency cases alone. The results suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has had psychological and emotional consequences for dental professionals and their patients. Further research is necessary to evaluate the persistence of this problem over time.

COVID-19 Impact on Public Dental Healthcare in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Current Situation and Ongoing Perspectives

BACKGROUND

As the pandemic time went by in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), various patterns toward COVID-19 itself and its impacts, implementation of prescribed preventive measures among the team members, and those of their patients, including immunization process, have been revealed. These patterns were of both empirical and evidence-based kind and consequently formed dental personnel behavior. The aim was to evaluate and compare the COVID-19 status of dentists in B&H, implementation of prescribed preventive measures, and usage of various kinds of PPE, at the beginning of the pandemics and now, 2.5 years later, including dentists' current vaccination status, and their opinions and attitudes toward the national COVID-19 economic impact on dental practice.

METHODOLOGY

Study research was in a form of a cross-sectional longitudinally designed online survey and was conducted in two parts.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Dental professionals in B&H had a high frequency of COVID-19 symptoms in the second pandemic year. The vaccination status of dentists in B&H was in line with the global average values of vaccinated professionals. Dentists used patient management preventive measures and PPE recommended by WHO, but some preventive measures have been changed and prioritized recently. The economic impact of pandemics on dentistry was predominantly negative.

Effect of dental trauma management resources on dental practitioners' confidence and knowledge: A pilot cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND/AIM

The knowledge of standardized care guidelines is critical to the confidence of practitioners in managing dental trauma. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the awareness, use and impact of the International Association of Dental Traumatology guidelines, and the online Dental Trauma Guide on general dental practitioners' self-reported confidence and knowledge in managing traumatic dental injuries in the primary and permanent dentitions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional, pre-piloted, 27-item self-administered questionnaire survey was distributed electronically to general dental practitioners' working within five member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (Kingdom of Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar) between September and December 2020. Data were collected and analysed using descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon Signed Rank test analysis for relevant comparisons.

RESULTS

A total of 294 respondents completed the survey, with the majority being from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (47.4%) and Qatar (27.3%). A lack of evidence-based knowledge in managing traumatic dental injuries was evident among more than half of the respondents. Respondents who were cognizant of the recent International Association of Dental Traumatology guidelines (2020) and those who use the Dental Trauma Guide routinely demonstrated a higher self-reported confidence level in managing both simple and complex primary dentition trauma, as well as simple traumatic dental injuries in the permanent dentition (p < .05).

CONCLUSION

This survey highlights critical deficiencies in the knowledge of a large number of the respondents in the management of dental trauma which is likely to cause irreversible long-term patient effects.