Abstract
Mental health and wellness is a major concern among trainees, where challenges may be associated with higher perceived stress, burnout, depression, and suicide.1,2 Although struggles with mental health are not new, awareness has been heightened by increasing depression and anxiety among all medical specialties, including oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS). Stress during residency is something we can all identify with, and the era of grinning and bearing with it, sucking it up, or taking one for the team is a strategy of the past. We can all remember sleepless nights and stressful emergency department encounters, but we must also recognize that not every surgical resident or practicing surgeon handles stress in an identical manner. Making sure oral and maxillofacial surgeons have access to mental health care providers and outlets is imperative, and it all starts during residency. We must foster a culture where senior residents advocate for their juniors, faculty advocate for their residents, and practicing oral and maxillofacial surgeons or senior faculty advocate for their junior colleagues. Only in this way will we reduce the stigma of seeking help for mental health issues. Identifying stress, anxiety, and depression not only is important for the well-being of the surgeon but also optimizes professional effectiveness and limits medical errors, emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization.
