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Review
. 2025 Jun 1;59(2):116-124.
eCollection 2025 Jun.

Managing patient mental health disclosures in Canadian dental and dental hygiene programs

Maranda M Mazoka  1 , Zul Kanji  2
Affiliations
Review

Managing patient mental health disclosures in Canadian dental and dental hygiene programs

Maranda M Mazoka et al. Can J Dent Hyg. .

Abstract
in English, French

Objective: This narrative literature review aims to explore the current landscape regarding the management of patient mental health disclosures and gaps in resources and protocols within Canadian dental and dental hygiene programs.

Methods: CINAHL and Education Source databases, and the Journal of Dental Education were used to search for literature published between 2001 and 2023.

Results: A total of 54 sources were included, primarily comprising original research articles, systematic and other literature reviews.

Discussion: The prevalence of mental health disclosures is rising, with 1 in 5 Canadians living with a mental health condition. Current dental and dental hygiene programs lack explicit protocols for managing patient mental health disclosures, and the literature reveals a scarcity of research on students' preparedness. This review underscores the importance of adopting humanistic language to reduce stigma and emphasizes educational institutions' roles in evaluating and facilitating mental health services to support the mental health lived experiences of dental and dental hygiene patients.

Conclusion: The review identifies 3 key research gaps: the absence of qualitative research on the student experience of managing patient disclosures, unclear integration of mental health education, and a scarcity of comprehensive evaluations of mental health services. Recommendations include incorporating mental health training in entry-to-practice curricula, aligning with established community support frameworks, and creating dedicated resources for the effective management of mental health disclosures for patients in educational settings.

Objectifs: Cet examen narratif vise à explorer le paysage actuel en matière de gestion des divulgations de renseignements sur la santé mentale des patients ainsi que les lacunes dans les ressources et les protocoles au sein des programmes canadiens de dentisterie et d’hygiène dentaire.

Méthodes: Des recherches ont été effectuées dans la documentation publiée entre 2001 et 2023 dans les bases de données CINAHL et Education Source et dans le Journal of Dental Education.

Résultats: Un total de 54 sources a été retenu, comprenant principalement des articles de recherche originaux, des examens systématiques et d’autres analyses documentaires.

Discussion: La prévalence des divulgations de renseignements sur la santé mentale est en croissance : 1 Canadien sur 5 vit avec un trouble de santé mentale. Les programmes actuels de dentisterie et d’hygiène dentaire ne comprennent pas de protocoles explicites pour la gestion des divulgations de renseignements sur la santé mentale des patients, et la documentation révèle que peu de recherche a été effectuée sur la préparation des étudiants. Cet examen souligne l’importance d’adopter un langage humaniste pour réduire la stigmatisation et met en évidence le rôle des établissements d’enseignement dans l’évaluation et la facilitation des services de santé mentale afin de soutenir les expériences vécues en matière de santé mentale par les patients en dentisterie et en hygiène dentaire.

Conclusion: L’examen révèle 3 lacunes de recherche clé : l’absence de recherche qualitative sur l’expérience des étudiants en matière de gestion des divulgations des patients, l’intégration peu claire de l’éducation en santé mentale et la rareté d’évaluations exhaustives des services de santé mentale. Les recommandations comprennent l’intégration d’une formation en santé mentale dans les programmes d’études menant à la pratique, l’harmonisation avec les cadres de soutien communautaire établis et la création de ressources dédiées à la gestion efficace des divulgations de renseignements sur la santé mentale pour les patients dans les milieux éducatifs.

Keywords: dental education; dental hygiene education; dental school curricula; humanistic language; mental health; mental health disclosures; qualitative research; stigma reduction.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Clinical flowchart for managing mental health disclosures*
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Framework for post-secondary student mental health
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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