The Psychosocial Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic Among Malaysian Dentists and Dental Therapists - A Cross-sectional Study
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Abstract
Introduction: The Covid-19 pandemic posed a detrimental psychosocial impact on healthcare workers due to their job requirements in treating the sick. This study aimed to assess the emotional consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic on dentists and dental therapists and to identify the factors associated with emotional distress. Materials and methods: A web-based survey using a validated questionnaire was conducted in March 2021 among 456 participants, capturing the demographic data and their emotional perception of practicing dentistry during the pandemic. Results: About (68.6%) of the respondents experienced high emotional distress due to this pandemic. Dental therapists are more likely to experience emotional distress compared to government dentists (Crude OR=0.52; 95% CI = 0.31- 0.86). Private dentists are more worried about their financial status if this pandemic continues. Conclusion: This highlighted the need for interventions and support in coping with emotional distress among oral healthcare workers to ensure safe quality services are delivered to the public.
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