Burnout and Associated Factors Among Dental Students, Interns, and Dental Practitioners in Saudi Arabia: A...

Background/Objectives: The present study aims to assess the prevalence of burnout and associated factors among dental students, interns, and dental practitioners in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among dental students, interns, and practitioners at Makkah Province, KSA. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) scale was used to assess burnout. The difference in mean scores was tested using a t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was carried out for the independent variables and outcome variable of burnout syndrome. Results: The total number of participants was 302 (female = 25, male = 277). The mean age of study participants was 30.2 ± 10.1. A total of 66.2% of study participants presented with high emotional exhaustion, 48.7% with high depersonalization, and 38.7% with low personal achievement. Burnout level was 1.78 times (CI = 1.52-3.53, p = 0.032) higher among female participants than male participants. Burnout level was 1.53 times (C = 1.31-3.17, p = 0.043) higher among student participants compared to practitioners. Burnout level was 2.41 times (CI = 1.72-3.79, p = 0.023) higher among participants who worked more than 5 days per week compared to participants who worked ≤ 5 days per week. Conclusions: This study's results showed burnout syndrome was high among dental students compared to interns and dental practitioners. A significant association was seen between increased working hours per week and burnout syndrome. There is a need for a proactive step to highlight the importance of burnout management, especially among dental students.