Quality of Life and Career Satisfaction among Australian Orthodontists, with a Preliminary Investigation into the Effects of Covid-19 Mitigation Efforts

Description of the project

What is the purpose of this study?
This research project aims to investigate the effect of occupational stressors on the Quality of Life (QOL) and career satisfaction of Australian orthodontists. This study will also explore potential effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the QOL and career satisfaction of Australian orthodontists.

Who is undertaking the project?
The project will be undertaken by three Master of Dentistry candidates at Griffith University’s School and Medicine and Dentistry. This research project is under the supervision of Dr. Melissa Nguyen (ASO member, Lecturer at Griffith University School of Medicine and Dentistry) and Miss Lan Nguyen (Lecturer at Griffith University School of Human Services and Social Work).

Selection of participants
Orthodontists who are currently practicing orthodontics in Australia are invited to participate in this survey.

What will I be asked to do?
Participants will be asked to respond to an online questionnaire. The first section will comprise of questions relating to demographic information. The second section will require you to respond to questions related to QOL and your career satisfaction. The third section involves questions regarding the effects of Covid-19 restrictions on your QOL and career satisfaction.

How much time will the project take?
The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete.

Are there any risks associated with participating in this project?
Risks associated with completing this survey are low. All participants will be treated equally and fairly, without prejudice or bias. However, it is possible that answering questions related to job stressors may act as a trigger, as these can be sensitive topics. If you find that you feel distressed in any way, while completing the survey, please reach out to mental health support services such as Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636). Withdrawal from the questionnaire will not result in any consequences.

What are the benefits of the research project?
This study has the potential to increase awareness of job stressors prevalent in the orthodontic profession to help decrease possible consequences, such as physical and mental burnout. Benefits and knowledge concluded from this study will be readily accessible and equally distributed to all Australian orthodontists.

Must I participate in the project?
Participation in this online survey is voluntary. You may withdraw from the survey at any time, if you wish not to complete the survey. There will be no repercussions if you do not complete the questionnaire. However, by completing and submitting your responses to the survey, participant’s consent is implied. Anonymity and confidentiality of participants will be guaranteed, as personal information will not be sought. By using the online database SurveyMonkey, the information gathered from participants will only be accessible to the researchers, as it is safely password-protected.
What will happen to my information?
The data collected from this study will be de-coded in order to preserve confidentiality and anonymity of participants. This data will be stored on a private password protected Research Drive with access permitted only to the researchers on this project. If hard copies of any of the data are required, the project supervisors will store this securely. Monica Glavin, Kathryn Chan, Nayani Ravishanker, Dr. Melissa Nguyen and Miss Lan Nguyen will have access to the data to analyze. The identities of participants will be confidential if the results of this study are published in any research journals. After five years, the data will be deleted from the online database.
Who do I contact if I have questions about the project?
Any problems or questions regarding the survey should be directed towards Dr. Melissa Nguyen (email: melissa.nguyen@griffith.edu.au).
Ethics Approval
This study has been approved by the Griffith University Human Research Ethics Committee ("Master of Dentistry: Research Project 7541DOH Cross Sectional Studies by Questionnaire" (2019/112)). Any research conducted at Griffith University is conducted in accordance with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans. If you have any concerns or complaints about the ethical conduct of the research project, you should contact the Manager, Research Ethics on (07) 3735 4375 or research-ethics@griffith.edu.au.