Document Type : Original Articles

Abstract

Introduction: Dentistry is among the most stressful professions. Active dentists may probably experience higher degrees of stress than the normal population. Former studies have shown that occupational health disorders are sensibly more common among dentists. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of stress management training on the mental health status of dentists in the city of Isfahan. Materials and Methods: During on the job training program, a group of 40 dentists with an average score of 221.22 on the mental health questionnaire, SCL90 were chosen. They were randomly put into two equal case and control groups. Those in the case group received a group training program for stress management in 8 separate sessions. Each session took one hour. The collected data were then analyzed on a computer using SPSS v.13. Results: The results showed that stress management training could improve dentists' mental health status. It could especially reduce physical complaints alongside a variety of anxiety disorders such as obsessive compulsive, depressive and aggressive disorders. (P<0.01) Some disorders such as panic, paranoism, interpersonal conflicts and psychosis did not show any significant changes between the case and the control groups. Conclusion: It seems that getting help from psychologists and psychotherapist can improve dentists' lives and lessen their physical and mental disorders