Psychosocial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on staff in a dental teaching hospital

Mahendran, Krishantini; Patel, Sagar; Sproat, Chris

doi:10.1038/s41415-020-1792-3

Cited by 45 publications

(56 citation statements)

References 22 publications

(22 reference statements)

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“…This observed psychological stability of the older group could be explained by the fact that many respondents of this group might be retired from the dental career, as the general age of retirement in Germany starts with 65 years [ 62 ]. Being in distance from patient treatment as a dentist during the COVID-19 crisis could eliminate multiple factors provoking the mental tension during the pandemic, as the stress and fear of getting infected during treatment or taking the infection to family members [ 10 ], the anxiety of treating patients with suspicious symptoms [ 6 , 16 ], or the depression and distress of losing the job and financial safety [ 24 ]. Moreover, older people incline to show less social mobility than younger individuals, which could explain their lower stress, anxiety, and depression during a pandemic lockdown [ 61 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous studies correspondingly described how dental professionals sense their moral responsibility to reduce their regular work to evade the cross-infection among their patients and relatives while having major concerns about the financial consequences of a lockdown or decreased patient visits [ 15 ]. Other investigations declared suspended research or educational activities [ 15 ], potential feelings of guilt among oral healthcare professionals, and scarce personal protective equipment [ 16 ] as possible causes of psychological distress among dentists during the worldwide outbreak [ 15 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Dentists in Germany

Mekhemar

Attia

Dörfer

et al. 2021

JCM

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Since the announcement of the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak as a pandemic, several studies reported increased psychological distress among healthcare workers. In this investigation, we examined the association between psychological outcomes and various factors among German dentists. Dentists from all German federal states were invited to participate in this study through a self-administered online questionnaire between July and November 2020. This questionnaire collected information on demographics, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), and the Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R) instrument. The associations displayed between demographic and psychological outcomes of depression, anxiety, stress, intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal were evaluated. Seven-hundred-and-thirty-two dentists participated in the survey and reported overall scores of (4.88 ± 4.85), (2.88 ± 3.57), (7.08 ± 5.04), (9.12 ± 8.44), (10.68 ± 8.88) and (10.35 ± 8.68) for depression, anxiety, stress, intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal, respectively. For females, being between 50–59 years of age, being immune deficient or chronically ill, working at a dental practice, and considering the COVID-19 pandemic a financial hazard were reported as significant associated factors (p < 0.05) with higher DASS-21 and IES-R scores. These findings underline the aspects which need to be taken into attention to protect the mental wellbeing of dentists in Germany during the crisis.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Dentists in Germany

Mekhemar

Attia

Dörfer

et al. 2021

JCM

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“…Survey studies reported that 50-70% of dental professionals admit to experiencing higher stress and anxiety levels as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic [29,30], an effect that may, in turn, alter their relationship with the pediatric patient. All of this, along with empty dental clinics and the smell of ozone disinfectant, can affect the children's trust in and perception of the oral healthcare provider, particularly in patients with a high fear level, and potentially aggravate the possibility of reassuring and de-stressing them in the waiting room and dental office, and eventually this may reinforce dental anxiety.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Children’s Dental Anxiety during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Polish Experience

Olszewska

Rzymski

2020

JCM

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Dental fear and anxiety is a significant issue that affects pediatric patients and creates challenges in oral health management. Considering that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, along with its associated sanitary regime, social distancing measures and nationwide quarantines, could itself induce public fears, including in children, it is of great interest to explore whether this situation and the necessity of reorganizing dental care could potentially affect the emotional state of pediatric patients facing a need for urgent dental intervention. The present study assessed the emotional state of children ≤ seven years old (n = 25) requiring dental healthcare during a nationwide quarantine in Poland, as well as the anxiety levels of their caregivers. The Faces Anxiety Scale was adopted, and the evaluation was independently performed by the dentist, caregivers and children themselves. The level of anxiety in caregivers was also measured. As demonstrated, children requiring dental intervention during the nationwide quarantine did not reveal a significantly higher anxiety level as compared to the age- and indication-matched pre-pandemic control group (n = 20), regardless of whether their emotional state was evaluated by the dentist, caregivers, or by themselves. However, the share of children scoring the lowest anxiety level in all assessments was smaller in the pandemic group. Boys in the pandemic group had a higher anxiety level, as indicated by a caregiver assessment, and displayed a negative correlation with age in all three types of evaluation. Moreover, caregiver anxiety levels were higher in the pandemic group as compared to the pre-pandemic subset and revealed stronger correlations with the dental anxiety in children. The results suggest that the reorganization of oral healthcare under the pandemic scenario did not have a profound effect on children’s dental anxiety. Nevertheless, findings in young boys highlight that they may be more vulnerable and require special care to mitigate their anxiety and decrease the risk of dentophobia in the future—these observations must be, however, treated with caution due to the small sample size and require further confirmation. Moreover, it is important to reassure caregivers of the safety of the dental visit during the pandemic to minimize the effect of their own anxiety on dental fears in children.

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“…A cut-off ≥ 10 has been used by several studies to define clinically relevant anxiety. 11,14,16,18-32,35-39,41, 42, 44-59, 61-64, 66-69 Both the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 have excellent psychometric properties. 77,78…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating the effect of national government physical distancing measures on depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic through meta-analysis and meta-regression

Castaldelli‐Maia

Marziali

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Background: COVID-19 physical distancing measures can potentially increase the likelihood of mental disorders. It is unknown whether these measures are associated with depression and anxiety. Objectives: To investigate meta-analytic global levels of depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic and how implementation of mitigation strategies (i.e. public transportation closures, stay-at-home orders, etc.) impacted such disorders. Data sources: Pubmed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, BIOSIS Citation Index, Current Content Connect, PsycINFO, CINAHL, medRxiv, and PsyArXiv databases for depression and anxiety prevalences; Oxford Covid-19 Government Response Tracker for the containment and closure policies indexes; Global Burden of Disease Study for previous levels of depression and anxiety. Study eligibility criteria: Original studies conducted during COVID-19 pandemic, which assessed categorical depression and anxiety, using PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scales (cutoff ≥ 10). Participants and interventions: General population, healthcare providers, students, and patients. National physical distancing measures. Study appraisal and synthesis methods: Meta-analysis and meta-regresssion. Results: In total, 226,638 individuals were assessed within the 60 included studies. Global prevalence of both depression and anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic were 24.0% and 21.3%, respectively. There was a wide variance in the prevalence of both anxiety and depression reported in different regions of the world and countries. Asia, and China particularly, had the lowest prevalence of both disorders. Regarding the impact of mitigation strategies on mental health, only public transportation closures increased anxiety prevalence. Limitations: Country-level data on physical distancing measures and previous anxiety/depression may not necessarily reflect local (i.e., city-specific) contexts. Conclusions and implications of key findings: Mental health concerns should not be viewed only as a delayed consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also as a concurrent epidemic. Our data provides support for policy-makers to consider real-time enhanced mental health services, and increase initiatives to foster positive mental health outcomes.

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Psychosocial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on staff in a dental teaching hospital

Cited by 45 publications

References 22 publications

The Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Dentists in Germany

The Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Dentists in Germany

Children’s Dental Anxiety during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Polish Experience

Investigating the effect of national government physical distancing measures on depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic through meta-analysis and meta-regression

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