Anxiety among dental professionals and its association with their dependency on social media for health information: insights from the COVID-19 pandemic

Suhail H Al-Amad,Amal Hussein

doi:10.1186/s40359-020-00509-y

Abstract

BackgroundSocial media can play a detrimental role during a global health emergency. In this study, we aimed at assessing the impact social media has on the anxiety level of dental healthcare workers (DHCWs) whilst living through the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsAn online questionnaire was disseminated to a cross-sectional sample of DHCWs from 19 countries using social media platforms. The questionnaire enquired about DHCWs’ frequency of using social media and their dependency on health-related information posted on those platforms. Anxiety was measured using General Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7).ResultsFour-hundred and three (403) DHCWs completed the online questionnaire. Sixty-eight percent (68%) frequently use social media for information on COVID-19. The frequency of social media use was higher among younger DHCWs, with shorter clinical experience, and holders of undergraduate qualifications (p = 0.009, p = 0.002, and p = 0.023, respectively). Almost one third of DHCWs had moderate to severe anxiety (31.7%), which was significantly associated with the frequency of social media use (p = 0.016). This association was adjusted for age, years of experience and qualification level (OR 1.75; 95% CI 1.05–2.93; p = 0.032).ConclusionCOVID-19 social media infodemic has been adversely impacting the psychological wellbeing of DHCWs. More effective measures are needed to control the quality and spreadability of health information on social media platforms.

Highlights

Social media can play a detrimental role during a global health emergency
Most of the participating dental healthcare workers (DHCWs) were dentists (n = 245 (60.8%)), who were less than 40 years of age (n = 274 (69.2%)) and working in the private sector (n = 179 (44.4%))
Our results revealed a high prevalence of social media use among DHCWs, whereby all participants have an account in at least one social media platform

Summary

Introduction

We aimed at assessing the impact social media has on the anxiety level of dental healthcare workers (DHCWs) whilst living through the COVID-19 pandemic. The non-specific clinical manifestations, the uncertainties around the viral transmissibility, and the unexplainable wide range of mortality rate [2,3,4] were among the factors that created knowledge voids, which were quickly filled with often scientifically unfounded information on social media platforms. Dental professionals are at the highest risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 [5]. This can be attributed to a number of factors: firstly, the ergonomics of dental treatments that require dental healthcare workers (DHCWs) to be at a close proximity to the patient’s oral cavity, and for extended periods of time. Viral particles in aerosols were found to remain viable for as long as three hours [8]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion