Addressing Mental Health Among Dental Professionals in the United States

Much like the broader population, dental professionals have grappled with significant mental health challenges. The 2021 Dentists Well-Being Survey conducted by the American Dental Association revealed insights into the stress and depression levels among dentists. Most dentists, 63%, reported low-stress levels at home. However, work-related stress was more significant, with most dentists reporting moderate to severe stress. Severe work-related stress was notably twice as prevalent among women (21%) compared to men (12%). The results indicated that 46% of dentists were at low risk for depression, 39% at medium risk, and 15% at high risk. Dentists under the age of 40 were more likely to score medium or high risk (68%) compared to their older counterparts (48%). Similarly, female dentists had higher medium or high-risk scores (67%) than male dentists (47%). Moreover, less than half (46%) of the dentists surveyed were aware that mental health resources were available to them through state dentist well-being programs.¹⁴

A joint study by the American Dental Hygienists’ Association and the American Dental Association examined the mental health of dental healthcare workers (DHCWs) from June 2020 to June 2021. The study included 8,902 participants who completed monthly anonymous online surveys. Findings from this study indicated that 17.7% of DHCWs reported anxiety symptoms, 10.7% reported depression symptoms, and 8.3% reported both. Throughout the study, dental hygienists consistently reported higher rates of depression than dentists, peaking in December 2020. While depression rates among dental hygienists declined in 2021, dentists' rates remained steady, resulting in similar rates for both groups by the end of the study period in June of 2021 (11.8% for dentists and 12.4% for dental hygienists).¹⁵

It is known that mental health disorders are not the result of one single event. Research has validated that there may be many compounding factors. One’s genetic background, routine or environmental factors, or a combination of these elements may influence whether an individual develops a mental health condition. Furthermore, stress associated with the workplace, school conditions, or past traumatic events can play a role, for example, in determining the etiology of one’s mental health condition.

Mental health disorders are among the leading causes of disability worldwide, including in the United States. These disorders include major depression, bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression), schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.¹⁶ Among these, depression has become a major global public health issue, affecting approximately 50 million individuals worldwide.¹⁷

In the United States, mental health disorders are the leading cause of disease burden. Moreover, when disease burden includes both disability and death, mental health and substance use disorders become the top causes of disability-adjusted life years in the United States, along with circulatory diseases and cancer.¹⁸

This demonstrates the significance of psychological disorders and their consequence in the lives of average Americans. Consequently, if "left untreated or inadequately treated, mental illness has adverse personal and societal consequences that are felt directly in the workplace; in the education, welfare, and justice systems; and the nation's economy as a whole."¹⁹