Behavioral Health Within Primary Care Postgraduate Dental Curricula: A Mixed Methods Study

Area of Science:

• Dental Education
• Behavioral Health Integration
• Public Health

Background:

• Primary care postgraduate dental curricula often lack comprehensive behavioral health training.
• Key areas include anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, eating disorders, opioid use disorder, and intimate partner violence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the integration of critical behavioral health topics into Advanced Education in General Dentistry and General Practice Residency programs.
• To identify factors influencing the inclusion of this training.

Main Methods:

• A sequential mixed methods approach was employed, combining online surveys with program directors and in-depth interviews.
• Multivariate logistic regression analyzed factors associated with curriculum inclusion.

Main Results:

• Less than 50% of surveyed programs included training on anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, eating disorders, and intimate partner violence.
• Programs with higher integration of behavioral health were more likely to include depressive disorder training.
• Barriers included organizational culture and time constraints, while organizational standards and patient populations influenced inclusion.

Conclusions:

• Advanced Education in General Dentistry and General Practice Residency programs require enhanced efforts to incorporate behavioral health training.
• Particular focus is needed on anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, eating disorders, and intimate partner violence to improve patient care.