COVID-19 Stressors among Dental Academics at UWI­A Caribbean Perspective

ABSTRACT

COVID-19 is a pandemic that has a ected health care personnel worldwide. Dentists have a high risk of contracting COVID-19 given the face-to-face contact required in daily interactions with their patients. This study aimed to determine the stressors experienced by academic dentists due to the COVID-19 situation in Trinidad and Jamaica. All academic staff at the University of the West Indies (UWI) dental schools (St. Augustine and Mona campuses) were invited to complete a self-reported questionnaire, which was conducted for one month from May to June 2020. Thirty-two dental academics responded and the response rate was 61.54%. More than a third (34.4%) were in the 25­35 age group, 71.9% were females. The most common speciality (20.7%) was restorative dentistry. Just over one-third (38.7%) had been in academia for 5­10 years. Most (40.6%) were apprehensive about infecting their family. When the locus of control was determined, just over half (53.1%) felt they were in control of protecting themselves while 34.4% felt that external factors controlled their lives. The findings suggest that academic sta at UWI dental schools (Trinidad and Jamaica) were stressed by the COVID-19 situation. The vast majority were worried about infecting their families.