Dentists Facing Depression And Suicide
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Dardan.B
Jul 18, 2009, 4:53:06 PM7/18/09
to Dentistët
An article published in the Journal of the Canadian Dental Association
claims that many dentists are at risk of suffering from a chronic mood
disorder known as dysthymia. It's a condition the Université de
Montréal Department of Dentistry is fighting - preventively.
Dysthymia is characterized by loss of appetite, low levels of energy,
desperation, excessive anger, social withdrawal and working long hours
to compensate for declining performance, troubles in concentration,
guilt and suicidal thoughts.
A 2005 study published in the Journal of the American Dental
Association claims that 10 percent of the 560 dentists surveyed suffer
from this condition. However, only 15 percent of them are followed by
a doctor and receive treatment.
Wwhat about dentists in Canada and Quebec? The Ordre des dentistes du
Québec doesn't have data on the depression and suicide rates of its
4,360 practitioners. That doesn't make the issue any less real
according to Gilles Lavigne, dean of the Université de Montréal
Faculty of Dentistry.
"When I was a student, we were already sensitized to this
particularity of the profession," says Dr. Lavigne. "But it is a
problem that affects all health professionals, not just dentists."
In 1998, the Université de Montréal established a prevention program
to help future dentists cope with stress before irritability and
exhaustion lead to depression. The program includes information and
training on the issue. In addition, the curriculum now includes two
psychology classes that focus on the theory and practice of the stress
a dentist will face.
Dr. Lavigne has known depressive individuals who have committed
suicide, and he feels reassured by the prevention program now in
place. "To my knowledge, there hasn't been a fatal act at the Faculty
of Dentistry in the past 10 years," he says. "The program seems to
have had the intended preventive effect. And depression is less
stigmatized today, contrarily to my generation, youngsters today speak
about it more openly. This helps us provide them with better
support."
claims that many dentists are at risk of suffering from a chronic mood
disorder known as dysthymia. It's a condition the Université de
Montréal Department of Dentistry is fighting - preventively.
Dysthymia is characterized by loss of appetite, low levels of energy,
desperation, excessive anger, social withdrawal and working long hours
to compensate for declining performance, troubles in concentration,
guilt and suicidal thoughts.
A 2005 study published in the Journal of the American Dental
Association claims that 10 percent of the 560 dentists surveyed suffer
from this condition. However, only 15 percent of them are followed by
a doctor and receive treatment.
Wwhat about dentists in Canada and Quebec? The Ordre des dentistes du
Québec doesn't have data on the depression and suicide rates of its
4,360 practitioners. That doesn't make the issue any less real
according to Gilles Lavigne, dean of the Université de Montréal
Faculty of Dentistry.
"When I was a student, we were already sensitized to this
particularity of the profession," says Dr. Lavigne. "But it is a
problem that affects all health professionals, not just dentists."
In 1998, the Université de Montréal established a prevention program
to help future dentists cope with stress before irritability and
exhaustion lead to depression. The program includes information and
training on the issue. In addition, the curriculum now includes two
psychology classes that focus on the theory and practice of the stress
a dentist will face.
Dr. Lavigne has known depressive individuals who have committed
suicide, and he feels reassured by the prevention program now in
place. "To my knowledge, there hasn't been a fatal act at the Faculty
of Dentistry in the past 10 years," he says. "The program seems to
have had the intended preventive effect. And depression is less
stigmatized today, contrarily to my generation, youngsters today speak
about it more openly. This helps us provide them with better
support."
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