It was found that GDPs encounter dental patients with mental health problems. These encounters range from dental anxiety/fear to severe mental illness. In between these two points, there are patients with anxiety and depression due to life events, dental somatisation disorders (i.e. the patient presents with dental pain, but the GDP can find no physical cause), patients with behaviour suggesting a psychological disorder, and patients with diagnosed psychological problems.
Just over half of the questionnaire respondents (57%) claimed to have encountered patients with symptoms they suspected were caused by mental health problems. Their responses indicated that the majority of encounters were with patients who had a ‘dental somatisation disorder’ (53%)
The majority of GDPs interviewed (78%) stated they had encountered patients who had been diagnosed, or were possibly suffering from mental health problems (undiagnosed). Of the 12 GDPs who stated they were unaware of such patients, eight conceded this was due to a lack of knowledge/skills to identify such patients.
Seven GDPs (13%) stated that they did not encounter patients with mental health problems. However, the comments made by these GDPs indicate they do not look for, or necessarily recognise the symptoms and signs of psychological difficulties.
The results show that GDPs do encounter dental patients experiencing mental health conditions. These range from typical depression and dental anxiety/fear to severe diagnosable mental illness. More specifically, 57% of respondents reported seeing patients present with dental symptoms they suspected were caused by mental conditions - most commonly a form of dental somatisation disorder (i.e. when the patient presents with dental pain with no identifiable physical cause). Of those GDPs who stated they were unaware of encountering any patients with mental health conditions, their comments indicated they do not actively pay attention for or necessarily recognise the symptoms and signs of these conditions, and conceded this may be due to a lack of knowledge/skills on their part.