Study shows pandemic increased depression and anxiety in dental health care workers

This is the first known US study evaluating the mental health of practicing dentists and dental hygienists during the COVID-19 pandemic.Research published in Journal of the American Dental Association involving teachers from University of Alabama at Birmingham Faculty of Dentistry found that dental health care providers reported symptoms of anxiety and depression during peaks of transmission among the public during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study, titled “Mental Health of US Dental Health Care Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” is the first known study in the United States to assess the mental health of practicing dentists and dental hygienists. during the pandemic.

During the one-year study between June 2021 and June 2022, 17.7% of DHCWs reported symptoms of anxiety, 10.7% reported symptoms of depression, and 8.3% reported symptoms of both anxiety and depression. Dental hygienists reported higher rates of anxiety and depression symptoms than dentists at each time point surveyed.

“This project was part of a larger assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on dental health care providers during the height of the pandemic,” said lead author Maria (Mia) L. Geisinger, DDS, professor of the Faculty of Dentistry of the UAB. and director of Advanced Training in Periodontics. “This was important, particularly early in the pandemic, because we were very concerned about burnout among DHCP and wanted to assess the impact that vaccines and community infection rates of COVID-19 had on the mental health of these providers. As caregivers, the mental and physical well-being of our dental health providers is of paramount importance in order to provide optimal care to patients and communities.”

Maria (Mia) L. Geisinger, DDS, professor at the UAB School of Dentistry and director of Advanced Training in Periodontics. Photography: Lexi CoonGeisinger and colleagues surveyed 8,902 dental health workers monthly via an anonymous web-based survey. They found that anxiety symptoms peaked in November 2020 and depression symptoms peaked in December 2020 for both dentists and dental hygienists. As of November 2020, 17 percent of dentists and 28 percent of dental hygienists reported experiencing anxiety symptoms. This number decreased to around 12 percent for both professions in May 2021. As of December 2020, 10 percent of dentists and 17 percent of dental hygienists reported symptoms of depression. This percentage decreased to around 8 percent for both professions in May 2021.

This study is also the first to examine the association between vaccination administration and mental health. The researchers found that participants’ overall symptoms of anxiety decreased after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, with approximately 20.6 percent of unvaccinated dental health workers who intended to be vaccinated experiencing anxiety compared with 14.1 percent of those who were fully vaccinated.

“Through our research, we wanted to better understand the initial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of DHCWs and work to support all members of the dental profession,” Geisinger said. “By focusing on mental wellness through training programs and developing support infrastructure to help DHCWs who may be experiencing mental health challenges, we can better support our colleagues and their ability to care for patients.”

Read the full study here.