Volume 8 • 2021 • Issue 1

One in 5 Canadians suffers with a mental health problem each year. So even if we don’t realize it, all dentists are working with peoplewithmental health issues. Mr. Ed Mantler Vice-president of Programs and Priorities, Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC). my health,” he writes. “I am truly fortunate that I am a dentist and have more employment opportunities than most people do.” 1 These days, Dr. Rosenbloom finds his work—at the dental school at the University of Toronto (U of T) and at CAMH— deeply fulfilling. He enjoys a happy family life and pursues ideas and projects that are meaningful to him. When asked what he does to maintain his mental health, he spoke about his love of cycling. “I bike to work and I bike home, every day, not matter what the weather,” he says. to mental illness than workers in other industries. One study found that 84% of dentists reported feelings of burnout. 4 Data analyzed by the MHCC and the Conference Board of Canada showed that 84% of respondents felt their mental health had worsened since the onset of COVID. 5 “Recovery from mental health problems and illnesses is possible,” says EdMantler, vice-president of Programs and Priorities at MHCC. “Just like you can recover from a heart attack.” Recently, Mantler made a presentation to CDA’s Practice Recovery Task Force about the personal, organizational and economic costs of neglectingmental health. He also spoke about how businesses and organizations can promote psychological health and safety using evidence-based strategies. Mantler told the story of Michael Garron Hospital in Toronto, an early adopter of the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace, that has seen a downward trend in long-term disability claims and employee absenteeism since incorporating the guidelines into its wellness program. As well, morale and staff retention rose, medical errors were reduced, productivity increased and patient satisfaction went up. One of the insights that Mantler shared is that mental health is something that individuals can work to maintain on their own to a certain extent, but our workplaces, institutions and communities influence it a great deal. Canadian Dentists Taking Care of Themselves and Their Teams CDA Essentials reached out to a group of dentists to find out how they were managing their dental practices in the context of COVID and how they were taking care of their own mental health and wellness and that of their teams. Many shared feelings that the past year has been far more stressful than most. They talked about how a sense of community and physical exercise have buoyed them. Several explained how they worked to create cultures of open communication and cooperation within their dental offices. Camaraderie as a Silver Lining Before the pandemic, Dr. Roxana Saldarriaga’s first thought each morning was about what to make for breakfast for her family. Now she worries about whether a family member might have symptoms. “Having a child with sniffles means having to drive to a COVID test centre and missing school until the test results are back,” she says. “It also means cancelling and rescheduling a full day at work without much notice to patients, and, all this, without even mentioning the anxiety of a possible positive result.” Infection prevention and control measures at Dr. Saldarriaga’s dental office in Vancouver have increased significantly. A new wellness coordinator does several rounds of screenings with patients and walks them through new informed consent documents. There have been physical changes to the office including Plexiglas barriers in reception Having experienced his own “dark periods,” as he calls them, seems to have increased Dr. Rosenbloom’s capacity for compassion. Students from U of T do clinical rotations at CAMH, where together they serve patients who are struggling with mental health issues. “One in 5 Canadians suffers with a mental health problem each year,” says Dr. Rosenbloom. “So even if we don’t realize it, all dentists are working with people with mental health issues.” 2 With hisUof T colleagues, Dr. Rosenbloom has beenworking on a wellness strategy for students. “Our guiding principle has been ’Let’s talk about mental health,’” he says. “There was a time when it wasn’t something that people talked about and there is still a powerful stigma. But talking about it helps, both at the individual level and the school as a whole.” Mental Health During a Pandemic Each week, half a million people in Canada are unable to work because of mental health problems or illness. 3 The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) says that health care workers are 1.5 x more likely to miss work due I ssues and P eople 21 Issue 1 | 2021 |