The American Dental Association offers a variety of support to help its member dentists and dental students get started, including free access to the Well-Being Index, an anonymous, validated assessment and measurement tool developed by the Mayo Clinic to address clinician distress and well-being.
The nine-question index, used by hundreds of healthcare organizations, assesses risk for provider fatigue, depression, burnout, and anxiety.
The index compiles findings each year in the State of Well-Being Report, a comprehensive look at key trends, risks, and opportunities in healthcare. The report breaks down findings into four categories: struggling, struggling, doing well, and thriving—showing how providers are distributed across the spectrum of health status based on their index scores.
Findings from the 2024 report show an increase in the percentage of dentists struggling or struggling, while the percentage of dentists doing “doing well” remains the same and the percentage of dentists thriving decreases compared to 2023. Overall, nearly half of dentists in 2024 are classified as either struggling or thriving.
The index showed that participants who were distressed or struggling were more likely to experience burnout, severe fatigue, medical errors, job turnover, suicidal ideation, and decreased overall quality of life.
The ADA-mandated version of the index connects participants directly to resources from the ADA and some state dental associations. Members can continue to use the index at a chosen frequency and reference their results on their personal dashboard.
ADA members and dental students also have free access to Talkspace Go and discounts on Talkspace Therapy.
Talkspace Go is a self-directed mental health app that offers classes, live therapist-led workshops, daily journaling, and more. Talkspace Therapy provides additional support by connecting users with licensed, professional therapists in their area.
Users receive one live, confidential, 30-minute telehealth consultation per month with a therapist and unlimited asynchronous messaging via text or audio.
“As a dental professional, I have lived most of my career with the stigma of mental health due to postpartum depression,” said Margaret S. Gingrich, DDS, member of the American Dental Association’s Committee on Dental Practice and chair of the Dental Team Wellness Advisory Committee.
“There was a time when I was afraid to admit my struggles, fearing I would lose my patients’ trust and even my dental license. We have to create awareness and acceptance for those who are struggling with mental health issues without stigma or punishment.
Our profession is no exception. We are expected to be caregivers, servers, and helpers. We need to realize that sometimes helpers need help too, and mental health issues should not be left to them alone.”
In their home state of Michigan, Dr. Gingrich and ADA Wellness Ambassador Dr. Darshika Shah proposed a bylaw change related to mental health that passed the Michigan Dental Association House of Delegates in April.
Previously, the bylaws stated that if a dentist’s license was suspended by the Michigan Dental Board for any reason, even for a short period of time, their membership in the Dental Association and ultimately the American Dental Association would be terminated immediately without review, Dr. Gingrich said.
This also meant they would lose all membership benefits, including health insurance and health benefit resources.
“I’m pleased that Michigan’s bylaws have been amended to reflect our current need to support members when they need it. Instead of being unilaterally fired and losing all member benefits, including insurance and resources, they will now be assessed on an individual basis,” she said.
“This means we can reintegrate care and compassion back into member benefits to help them get back on track.”
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