Prevalence of Occupational Burnout and its Related Factors among Dentists in Semnan, Iran

Abstract

Background and Objective: Occupational burnout syndrome is a long-term response to stressful situations that may cause a reduction in the function, efficacy, and productivity of systems or individuals. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence rate of occupational burnout and its related factors among dentists working in Semnan, Iran, during 2014. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytical study included 86 dentists working in Semnan Iran. The data were collected using a 22-item Maslach burnout inventory that evaluated emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics, including t-test, as well as Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficient tests. Results: In this study, 40.7%, 22.1%, and 97.7% of the participants suffered from severe emotional exhaustion, severe depersonalization, and severe reduced personal accomplishment, respectively. According to the results, there was a reverse relationship between the age and the prevalence rate of depersonalization (P=0.02); however, a direct association was observed between age and personal accomplishment (P=0.002). Moreover, the females obtained higher scores of emotional exhaustion (P=0.002) and depersonalization (P=0.003), compared to males. Furthermore, dentists' working hours per week correlated significantly with depersonalization (P=0.085). Conclusion: Higher levels of occupational burnout were observed among the general dentists in Semnan, Iran. Moreover, about half of the dentists had emotional exhaustion and more than 95% of them suffered from reduced levels of personal accomplishment. Therefore, it is necessary to consider steps to reduce workload, working hours, and daily stress among dentists.

Keywords

• dentistry; depersonalization; emotional stress; occupational burnout