Mental Health Month, recognized every May, is an opportunity to raise awareness about mental health and debunk the stigma often associated with mental illness. Those in the dental industry are not immune to mental health struggles. In fact, according to the 2021 Dentist Well-Being Survey Report published by the American Dental Association (ADA), the number of dentists diagnosed with anxiety tripled since 2003, and perceived self-competence had also declined, particularly among dentists who were women or under 40. Younger dentists were also more likely to score higher on the depression risk assessment questions.
In response to these survey findings, the ADA committed to supporting dentists’ mental health and now includes wellness resources on their website. Like the ADA, more and more organizations are recognizing the importance of providing mental health resources, with research indicating that teams value having access to such support. For example, the American Psychological Association’s Work and Well-Being Survey found that 81% of respondents consider mental health support to be an important consideration when choosing a job. In another study from The Workforce Institute, the vast majority of respondents stated that their mental health is more important than salary, with two thirds saying they would take a pay cut for a position that better supports their mental wellness.
How MDP Supports Mental Wellness
As the largest dentist and employee-owned dental support organization, Mortenson Dental Partners is dedicated to providing our team with the support needed to feel happy and satisfied in their careers and at home. We offer a number of wellness resources for our entire team. This includes a free employee assistance program (EAP), which offers confidential mental health counseling services for team members and their families. The EAP also includes financial and legal assistance, work-life balance resources, and identity-theft resolution services — issues that can add to daily stress.
We also partner with our EAP provider to deliver free webinars on wellness topics such as managing daily stress, improving work-life balance, growing personal and professional resilience, managing anxiety, combating burnout, substance use, and suicide prevention. Through our robust intranet, our team members can also access additional handouts and resources during important awareness months, including Mental Health Month and Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.
Living Our Mission and Values
Providing mental health resources for our team certainly supports their job satisfaction. It also supports our mission to improve the lives of others by living our values every day, with those values being caring for everyone, sharing abundantly, building relationships and expressing gratitude. If you are interested in being a part of our caring culture and supportive atmosphere, we’d love for you to join our team.
