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Professional burnout among Dutch dentists.
R C Gorter1, G Albrecht, J Hoogstraten
1Department of Social Dentistry and Dental Health Education, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam, The Netherlands. r.gorter@acta.nl
Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology
|May 5, 1999
Summary
Professional burnout affects many workers, including dentists. While Dutch dentists show favorable burnout levels overall, some experience extreme exhaustion, particularly middle-aged males. This highlights the need for targeted support.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Psychology
- Dental Practice Management
Background:
- Professional burnout, stemming from occupational stress, significantly contributes to work incapacity.
- Burnout is characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess burnout levels in Dutch dentists.
- Compare these levels to established norms.
- Identify the proportion of dentists at risk of burnout.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Maslach Burnout Inventory-NL (MBI-NL), a 20-item modified version.
- Surveyed a representative sample of 709 Dutch dentists with a 75% response rate.
Main Results:
- Mean burnout scores: emotional exhaustion 13.7(8.6), depersonalization 5.9(3.9), personal accomplishment 30.8(5.9).
- Dentists' mean scores were more favorable than norms, but the top 5% showed higher emotional exhaustion.
- 21% of dentists were at some risk, 13% had high burnout, and 2.5% were highly burned out. Male, middle-aged dentists showed a trend towards higher burnout.
Conclusions:
- Dutch dentists generally exhibit favorable burnout levels.
- However, a subset experiences extreme exhaustion.
- Male dentists in their forties are identified as the most vulnerable group for burnout.