What can a centre for happiness teach us?

Dental professionals and emotional wellbeing

Not only do dentists experience disproportionately high levels of mental ill-health during training and throughout their careers, this lack of wellbeing affects clinical decision-making, potentially impacting on treatment outcomes.[iii]

According to the clinician self-referral service, NHS Practitioner Health,[iv] high rates of unhappiness among dental professionals stems from many common factors, including pressures on time and the impact of rising costs on patients, combined with isolated working conditions and a tendency to share a perfectionist or competitive mindset. The GDC’s own research adds the anxiety felt by clinicians around complaints, litigation and the fear of censure to the list.ⁱⁱⁱ Clinician anxiety can also rise in response to patients experiencing poor mental wellbeing. ^iv

What are the common factors influencing wellbeing?

The study of subjective wellbeing[v] – examines what constitutes happiness, and the ways in which individuals experience and evaluate the quality of their lives. The study classifies wellbeing into three broad categories: hedonic, which encompasses the emotional states of happiness or unhappiness, joy, stress, and worry; evaluative, which includes the various factors influencing wellbeing, such as community or health; and eudemonic, which pertains to the sense of purpose and meaning associated with life.

A long-term study commissioned by Gallup,[vi] used these definitions to assess the relative happiness of 5 million people worldwide over the course of 15 years. The study found that 20% of all surveyed who rated their lives as the least happy tended to experience poor-quality employment, inadequate income, poor community support, malnourishment and loneliness. Conversely, the happiest 20% of those polled were fulfilled by their work, had little financial stress, had community and good health, and had loved ones to turn to for help.

Work plays an enormously important part in the relative happiness or unhappiness of individuals. It has been identified as bringing a personal sense of purpose as well as positive feelings associated with contributing to the wider community. According to a recent study,[vii] when work is a positive experience, existing and future subjective wellbeing scores increase significantly.

Research consistently shows that people who have strong social relationships tend to report higher levels of wellbeing. Social support can lead to better mental and physical health outcomes, reduce stress, and contribute to a sense of belonging and purpose.[viii]

Making time for happiness

How can dental professionals bring more meaning into their work, while also making time for stronger support networks, friends and family? For many the key is around a more flexible approach to work, developing a better work-life balance, and doing less of the busywork that takes away from more rewarding professional activity.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has just begun to demonstrate what it can do for beleaguered dental professionals, in terms of automating processes that cause unnecessary stress. Kiroku Co-Pilot listens to your appointment, transcribes the discussion in real-time, and then writes notes automatically for you using your own templates. These notes can then be instantly audited to ensure they are compliant, and can be converted into letters, patient-friendly information and documentation according to customisable templates, at the touch of a button. The platform makes time for a greater focus on patient care, as well as activities that lead to greater life satisfaction and the important work of increasing happiness.

The Ken Dodd Happiness Centre might be able to teach us that there is more to life than the factors in life that cause us stress and unhappiness, and that the intention to spread happiness can go far in spreading a bit of joy. The key to happiness probably doesn’t specifically involve the waving of feather dusters, but making time for more satisfying work, more rewarding encounters with patients, as well as meaningful activities with friends and loved ones might be an important element.

To find out more about Kiroku, or to start your free trial, please visit trykiroku.com

[i] Youngs I. Plan approved for £15m Ken Dodd Happiness Centre. BBC.co.uk August 2024. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy845kl8m2no Accessed August 2024

[ii] Collin, V., Toon, M., O’Selmo, E. et al. A survey of stress, burnout and well-being in UK dentists. Br Dent J 226, 40–49 (2019).

[iii] General Dental Council. Mental Health and Wellbeing in Dentistry: A Rapid Evidence Assessment. 2021. Available at https://www.gdc-uk.org/docs/default-source/research/mental-health-and-wellbeing-in-dentistry27973e06-eb0f-4ee2-b92f-7fee3d2baf5b.pdf?sfvrsn=511f2ef9_5 Accessed August 2024.

[iv] Dentists. Practitioner Health. Available at: https://www.practitionerhealth.nhs.uk/dentists Accessed August 2024

[v] Subjective Well-Being: Measuring Happiness, Suffering, and Other Dimensions of Experience . Panel on Measuring Subjective Well-Being in a Policy-Relevant Framework; Committee on National Statistics; Division on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education; National Research Council; Stone AA, Mackie C, editors. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2013 Dec 18.

[vi] Clifton J. The Global Rise of Unhappiness. September 2015. Available at: https://news.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/401216/global-rise-unhappiness.aspx. Accessed August 2024

[vii] Ray TK. Work related well-being is associated with individual subjective well-being. Ind Health. 2022 Jun 1;60(3):242-252. doi: 10.2486/indhealth.2021-0122. Epub 2021 Nov 4. PMID: 34732595; PMCID: PMC9171114.

[viii] Umberson D, Montez JK. Social relationships and health: a flashpoint for health policy. J Health Soc Behav. 2010;51 Suppl(Suppl):S54-66. doi: 10.1177/0022146510383501. PMID: 20943583; PMCID: PMC3150158.