Dental Educators' Stress and Wellbeing in the Workplace-An International Perspective

Supporting wellbeing of staff involved in dental education is vital to ensure the safe effective delivery of the curriculum and training of the dental workforce. There are only a limited number of studies on the stress and wellbeing of staff involved in dental education and the barriers they face in engaging with any wellbeing services provided. To plan strategies for the promotion of staff wellbeing, it is important to identify these and the barriers faced by staff. The aim of this study is to determine the stress and wellbeing of the staff involved in dental education and identify any barriers they face in accessing wellbeing services.

An online cross-sectional survey was conducted to investigate the wellbeing and stress of staff involved in dental education in institutions associated with the Association of Dental Education in Europe, using two validated survey instruments: the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWDS) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). In addition, staff demographics and barriers to accessing any wellbeing services were identified.

A total of 247 participants responded. The mean WEMWDS score was 49.0 (95% CI = 47.9-50.1; SD = 8.7) and the mean PSS score was 18.1 (95% CI = 17.3-19.0; SD = 6.7), with 68.0% reporting moderate and 8.5% high levels of perceived stress. Year of birth and work role were statistically significant for the primary outcome. Over 50% of respondents who needed support did not access the available services, citing several barriers, including lack of awareness (15%), uncertainty about the effectiveness of services (20.6%) and time constraints (22.3%).

Staff involved in dental education report higher stress and lower wellbeing than the general population. Those in the younger age group or involved in job roles such as research or clinical teaching are more affected. Staff face multiple barriers to accessing wellbeing services and are more likely to seek help from senior colleagues. It is vital that educational institutions establish strategies to promote the wellbeing of their staff members and improve access to services.