Bearing the brunt: an exploration of the mental health and wellbeing of dental practice managers and receptionists in UK dental workplaces.

Autor: Knights J; NHS Education for Scotland, Edinburgh, UK; University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom. jennifer.knights@nhs.scot., Batty T; Torrington Dental Practice, Great Torrington, United Kingdom., Mills I; Torrington Dental Practice, Great Torrington, UK; University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: British dental journal [Br Dent J] 2024 Dec 02. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Dec 02.
DOI: 10.1038/s41415-024-7896-4
Abstrakt: Aim This study aimed to explore the mental health and wellbeing of dental practice managers and receptionists in the UK and inform opportunities for further study into this crucially important yet under-researched occupational group.Methods Dental practice managers and receptionists were invited to participate in an online questionnaire collecting quantitative and qualitative data on current levels of burnout, depressed mood, experienced trauma and preparedness to provide quality care in dental teams in the UK. Quantitative data were analysed to provide descriptive frequencies, and means and standard deviations were calculated for each scale. Qualitative data were collected via a free-text box and analysed using thematic analysis.Results In total, 130 questionnaire responses were received from dental practice managers and receptionists, of which 13 included a free-text response. Staff reported high levels of negative psychosocial impact, including depressive symptomology, burnout and trauma. Increasing pressures on staff, challenging relationships with patients and colleagues, and lack of recognition were identified as key stressors in UK dental workplaces.Discussion The findings suggest that the current pressures of the dental workplace are having a detrimental effect on the health and wellbeing of dental practice managers and receptionists in the UK. Failure to address the issues identified is likely to have an impact on the ability of this crucial workforce to deliver high-quality care.
Competing Interests: Ethics declaration. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The study was classified as an evaluation of service impact on service delivery staff and therefore did not require institutional review or NHS Research and Development review and approval. This outcome was confirmed by the following organisational bodies: NES, NHS Tayside, HEIW, King's College London and the Office of Research Ethics Northern Ireland. Respondents were asked at the outset of the questionnaire to confirm they had read and understood the PIS and understood that the data collected was anonymous. A positive response to both questions and completion of the questionnaire implied consent.
(© 2024. The Author(s).)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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