Down and Out or Down and About? Mental Health Awareness

Course description

Mental health concerns in the workplace plague society and the dental community is not immune. Dental professionals encounter multiple stressors which may result in significant anxiety, depression, and other emotional outcomes. The evidence concerning mental health nationwide will be presented in this course along with identifying signs and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Management and treatment strategies will be discussed, including approaches for suicide prevention. The knowledge obtained in the session can be utilized in personal as well as patient care for achieving whole body health in ourselves and our patients.

Learning objectives

• Discuss the evidence concerning mental health issues among dental professionals and patients
• Describe signs and symptoms of anxiety and depression
• Explain management strategies for coping with stress and suicidal ideation
• Discuss management strategies for anxiety, depression and suicide prevention
• Appreciate the importance of civic responsibility to assist all people with mental health issues

About the speaker

Sherri Lukes, RDH, MS, FAADH - speaker, author, and vulnerable populations advocate, Sherri Lukes has been a dental hygienist for 43 years, holding advanced degrees in education. She is associate professor emerita, Southern Illinois University, where she taught general and oral pathology, public health, and multicultural dental hygiene. Her research focus was oral pathology and migrant farmworker oral health, resulting in multiple peer reviewed publications.