Suki Singh talks to Lauren Harrhy about mental health awareness and what more can be done.
SS: You have been heavily involved in helping dentists who have struggled with mental health issues, and your group, Mental Dental, has done a lot to raise awareness of the subject. We have also seen the formation of a number of other mental health organisations in dentistry; how do you think awareness has improved in recent years?
LH: I think, for a long time, there was a stigma around dentists suffering with their mental health and not an awful lot was done about it. However, over the last few years, we have seen a real increase in awareness and a reduction in the stigma some people associate with mental health.
We are seeing dentists and people in the profession who are now more willing to stand up and say that they are suffering and that they need help, and that is really good to see.
Coupled with that, we are also seeing an increase in the number of people who are keen to listen and are also eager to help others in the industry. As you say, we have seen more organisations forming and people in the profession want to protect, not just their mental health, but the mental health of others and catch certain issues before they spiral out of control.
SS: You help and give advice to a lot of dentists through Mental Dental. How many enquiries do you think you have had since you began, and do you think dentistry is in a better place mentally than it was a few years ago?
LH: We have had literally hundreds of people come to us since we started, and we have been able to either offer them advice, or we’ve been able to signpost them to other organisations who can give them the guidance and support they need.
Because of confidentiality I can’t go into details with regards to any of the stories shared between the group, as they are for group consumption only, however we do see a lot of recurring themes from the dentists that come to us for support.
Many have suffered from stress due to complaints made to the practice, GDC cases can also be a trigger for mental health issues, as well as disputes going on within the practice.
Like I’ve said, the profession is now more aware of the issue, however I don’t think that means on the whole we are in a good place mentally, because of the current situation the profession finds itself in. There is probably more pressure than ever for a lot of dentists, certainly in the NHS, and that will inevitably lead to burnout among colleagues.
SS: Do you think there is more that can be done by the industry and by employers?
LH: I really do think that dentists would benefit from spending more time supporting and learning from one another, learning about individual issues, and broadening their knowledge of mental health.
If we trust our colleagues, then we can feel safe and able to share our feelings with them in practice when we don’t quite feel ourselves. There are a number of groups such as the BDA branch meetings, LDC meetings and Dentinal Tubules, that could really help to cement relationships between neighbouring dentists, or dentists who work in the same region.
Having that support network available, and the opportunity to speak with like-minded people in your profession could really do a lot to help dentists open up and talk about what is going on, if they are suffering with mental health issues.
From an employer’s point of view, I think, these days, it is essential for someone in the team to be assigned as the mental health champion, someone who is in the know on all issues and can be the first point of contact if someone is struggling. And is it also beneficial if they are fully trained as a mental health first aider.
There is also a comprehensive toolkit on the Mind website that can help employers put structures in place to safeguard the mental well-being of their staff. Some of the pointers on there include ensuring adequate breaks are taken and that annual leave is booked in at healthy intervals. They also give advice on having a place in practice where staff can go if they do feel a little bit emotional, and how holding staff meetings can give people an opportunity to talk about their issues.
Introducing just some of these into your practice could really benefit your staff and help to improve the overall mental well-being of your team.