Measuring work stress among Dutch dentists

Abstract

Individual differences among dentists determine to a large degree what is experienced as work stress, but assessment of specific areas is necessary to be able to act preventively. The aim of this study was to develop an instrument to be used to monitor the experience of work stress in detail, to measure its levels, and to relate those levels to job (dis-) satisfaction. A questionnaire was developed, the Dentists' Experienced Work Stress Scale (DEWSS), covering widespread aspects of dental work, which was completed by 709 dentists, forming a highly representative sample of Dutch general dental practitioners. Factorial, correlational, and reliability analyses were conducted, after which seven areas of stress emerged: Work Pressure, Financial Aspects, Patient Contacts, Work Contents, Career Aspects, Team Aspects, and Professional and Private Life. Of these, Patient Contacts and Work Contents showed highest mean scores, as did the specific items: 'defaulters', 'governmental instructions', and 'unreasonable or demanding patients'. A strong inverse relationship was found between work stress, in particular lack of career perspective, and job satisfaction. The questionnaire is a valuable instrument to monitor pressure at work as felt by Dutch general dental practitioners. Patient contacts, work pressure, and career perspective clearly need preventive attention in the Dutch situation.

A study to explore if dentists' anxiety affects their clinical decision-making

“…This scale shows a high degree of reliability and therefore promise for future use in studies of dentists' anxiety and stress. Gorter et al 38 established that there were 49 separate stressors experienced by dentists and Humphris & Cooper identified still more. 39 The items included in the DACSS-R were not simply designed to measure stress-evoking situations, but more specifically, anxiety-provoking situations which had been described as important in prompting changes in clinical decision-making by the participants of the previous studies.…”

Understanding emotionally relevant situations in primary dental practice. 2. Reported effects of emotionally charged situations

“…2;3 A number of questionnaire-based studies have considered the nature of the stressors present in primary care dental practice. 7 In general, the exploration of dentists' coping 8 has been basic, with generic, trait coping strategies being explored. A single study 9 has found that dentists self-report a perceived inability to cope with many commonly experienced stressors.…”

Understanding emotionally relevant situations in primary care dental practice: 1. Clinical situations and emotional responses

“…The nature of the stressors is remarkably consistent across time and country and include work pressure and contents, patient contact, team and financial aspects of practice, career perspectives and the impacts on professional and private lives. 4 A recent national survey of Community Dental Service (CDS) dentists 5 found that stress was related to factors identified by general dental practitioners. It also identified issues relating to poor quality management, administrative duties and staffing levels.…”

“…3. the strategies dentists used to cope with the described situations. 4. the effect that dentists believed these emotions had on their clinical decision making.…”