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New stressors for GDPs in the past ten years: a qualitative study
1Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Liverpool.
Objective:
To identify new stressors that general dental practitioners have experienced from those reported in the UK national surveys of 1986 and 1996.
Design:
Series of interviews.
Setting:
General dental practices from suburban and inner city areas in two health authorities of the North West of England.
Subjects:
A random sample of ten general dental practitioners participated; there were no refusals.
Method:
In-depth interviews employing a research psychologist were conducted to invite comment on the areas of work pressure they had experienced during the past ten years. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed and content analysed.
Results:
More than 130 statements categorised into 29 topics referred to pressures related to work. There was good agreement (93%) between authors and an independent assessor when a sort of the statements into the defined categories was completed. The most referred area of stress was the system changes of running a practice and the possibility of further changes. Patient expectations were considered to be rising. Aggression exhibited by some patients in the practice, the risk of cross-infection, litigation and the dentist working as a team member were newly identified stressors not included in original classifications of dental work pressure.
Conclusions:
Dental practitioners from this small study identified uncertainty in the future of the organisation of dental care provision as the most important new pressure of work.