Abstract
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.
Highlights
Since the beginning of January 2020, COVID-19, a new contagious disease, has been threatening the health and welfare of humans globally
In addition to the psychological effects of the pandemic on the general population, healthcare workers are exposed to additional psychological difficulties due to their direct treatment of infected patients and the accompanying, increased risk of infection [2]
A nationwide cross-sectional survey was designed to evaluate the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its related factors on German dentists
Summary
Since the beginning of January 2020, COVID-19, a new contagious disease, has been threatening the health and welfare of humans globally. The viral pandemic was first defined in the Chinese city of Wuhan and was able to spread internationally in a few months. This rapid disease transmission with growing numbers of infected cases and associated critical health conditions or fatalities led to noticeable public anxiety and panic. In addition to the psychological effects of the pandemic on the general population, healthcare workers are exposed to additional psychological difficulties due to their direct treatment of infected patients and the accompanying, increased risk of infection [2] These include the fear of transmitting the disease to their families or loved ones [3], feeling discriminated against or rejected by society as potential carriers of the virus [4], as well as heavy workloads and time pressure, despite depleted personnel protection equipment [5]
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