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Background: Motivation triggers all human activities including learning and lack of career motivation can lead to decreased efficiency. This study assessed the association between academic burnout and career choice motivation in senior dental students. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on senior dental students of all four dental schools in Tehran in 2017. Dental students voluntarily filled out a 33-item questionnaire that comprised three sections. The first section included the Burnout Clinical Subtype Questionnaire (BCSQ-SS) with 12 questions addressing academic burnout. The second section consisted of 8 questions about career choice motivation, and the third section concentrated on 13 questions dealing with demographics. The individual scores of each section and the total scores were reported. The factor analysis of 8 questions about dental career choice motivation yielded 3 factors of social status and security, altruism, and others' advice motivations. The data were analyzed using regression test. Results: Totally, 131 students filled out the questionnaire (response rate = 86%). The total score of academic burnout was 38.89% ± 1.13%. The highest and the lowest burnout scores belonged to the domains of "overload" (46.69%± 1.46%) and "neglect" (31.98%± 1.32%), respectively. The most and the least frequently mentioned source of motivation for choosing dentistry were high income and failing to enter other fields, respectively. The burnout score was higher in students with altruism motivations (P = 0.007) and lower in students with others' advice motivations (P = 0.004). The burnout score was higher in students with inadequate or moderate financial support from the family and lower in students whose mothers' educational level was high-school diploma or lower. Conclusion: Senior dental students in Tehran encountered different levels of academic burnout. In the present study, low financial support and altruism as career choice motivations were associated with higher level of academic burnout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study is presented which examined work-related stress among dental health professionals in the Western Health and Social Services Board (WHSSB) area in Northern Ireland. The researchers measured burnout, job demands, work engagements and resources, and general psychological health, using questionnaires and statistical analysis. It is suggested that dental health professionals and other dental staff (DCP) are in need of help to prevent burnout.

Knowledge on the development of burnout among dentists is important for purposes of prevention and intervention. Using a two-wave longitudinal design, this study examined the chronological sequence of the three dimensions of the Maslach Burnout Inventory: emotional exhaustion; depersonalization; and personal accomplishment. Structural Equation Modelling was employed among a representative sample of Dutch dentists to examine the fit of several models proposed in earlier research. The results indicated that a model in which emotional exhaustion precedes depersonalization, which in turn precedes personal accomplishment, shows an adequate fit among dentists. However, an alternative model, in which personal accomplishment precedes emotional exhaustion, had an even better fit. In addition to the test of these a priori models, an ad hoc model was constructed that best fitted the current data. This model indicated emotional exhaustion to precede the development of depersonalization and personal accomplishment independently. Although not univocal, the results showed that emotional exhaustion should not be discarded as an early sign of burnout. This is in line with the view that emotional exhaustion can be considered as the key dimension of burnout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent development within burnout research is the shift to its conceptual opposite: work engagement. This study aimed to unravel the concepts of burnout and work engagement, and to determine their levels among dentists. A representative sample of 497 Dutch general dental practitioners was included (survey response rate of 59%), consisting of 372 men and 121 women (the gender of 4 dentists remained unknown). The hypothesized three-factor structure of work engagement (vigor, dedication, and absorption), as measured by the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), was substantiated among dentists. It was also found that work engagement was related negatively to burnout, as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). However, a model consisting of a reduced (‘core’) burnout factor and an ‘enhanced’ engagement factor (composed of the three original factors plus the burnout factor, personal accomplishment) showed the best fit. Overall burnout levels among dentists are low, and the levels of engagement indicate that dentists have a positive working attitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Int J Dent Hygiene3, 2005: 88–92Gorter RC:Work stress and burnout among dental hygienistsThe aim of this study was to describe the factors associated with work stress and burnout among dental hygienists. Furthermore, how to deal with work stressors in order to prevent burnout in the dental hygienist work environment will be discussed.From a small literature search, only a few empirical studies could be traced that describe work stress or burnout among dental hygienists.Burnout incidence among dental hygienists appears to be relatively favourable, when compared with other professions, according to a 20-year-old study. On the contrary, in a recent study, it was described that one out of eight dental hygienists felt emotionally exhausted from work. Dental hygienists, when compared with other professionals, are relatively negative about the variety of tasks they find in their work. Factors associated with experienced work stress are, according to another study, musculoskeletal pain, combining work and private life, highly efficient organization of work, long working hours, working without assistant, difficult or demanding patients, lack of leisure time, lack of support by practice management and doubts about one's own capabilities. Some factors that may prevent burnout are: recognition of one's own work pressure, learning to unwind, time management and organization of work, realistic career expectancies, social skills, healthy life-style, peer-group contacts and pre-graduate reflection.There appears to be a lack of recent data on burnout among dental hygienists. Although some knowledge exists on work stressors, a thorough investigation on burnout incidence, risk factors, as well as job resources is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to determine the long‐term effects of a burnout‐intervention program among Dutch dentists using a longitudinal design. Using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (Dutch version: MBI‐NL), at the initial measurement in 1997 a 'burnout risk group' (n=171) was identified. This group received feedback on their scores and was invited to participate in an intervention program. Of the total group, 19 dentists participated in an intervention program. After the end of the intervention program, 92 dentists (the 19 participants and a control group) responded to a post‐intervention survey in 1998. These dentists were approached once more 1 yr later, and this time 78 dentists (84.8%) returned a questionnaire. While demonstrating an improvement on all subscales of the MBI‐NL at the first post‐test, results show that the program participants showed a relapse at the second post‐test. Controls who took action on their own initiative, on the other hand, reported a beneficial effect in the long run. Finally, controls that did not take any preventive action showed little or no progress. Possible causes for these findings are discussed, including the influence of coping style, perceived control, confounding factors, demand characteristics, and the necessity of post‐intervention follow‐up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, it was hypothesised that dentists with a high burnout risk would experience more health complaints and show more unhealthy behavior when compared with dentists with a low burnout risk. With a response rate of 75%, a representative group of 709 actively practicing dentists responded to a questionnaire containing the Dutch version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-NL), a health complaints measure (VOEG), and items on health behavior. Results showed that dentists with a high burnout risk reported health complaints to a greater extent than dentists with a low burnout risk. They also reported more unhealthy behavior in some aspects (physical exercise/sporting, increase in alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet), but not in others. It also appeared that one out of ten dentists reported having poor general health, and that three out of ten reported to have poor physical condition. In general, dentists' self-reports appeared favourable in comparison with the Dutch population. It is concluded from this study that among dentists burnout and poor health are strongly related. It is discussed that in order to deal preventively with burnout in dentistry, attention to physical health, including ergonomics, is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professional burnout, a long-term consequence of occupational stress, is considered to be a factor that explains a substantial proportion of incapacity for work. Burnout is defined as emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and diminished personal accomplishment. Aims: To investigate levels of burnout among Dutch practising dentists, to compare dentists' scores with norm scores, and to determine the percentage of dentists "at risk". Methods: The instrument used was the Dutch version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-NL), a 20-item modified version of the original MBI. A highly representative group of Dutch dentists participated (n=709, 75% response rate). Results: Mean levels (and standard deviations) of burnout were: emotional exhaustion 13.7 (8.6); depersonalization 5.9 (3.9); personal accomplishment 30.8 (5.9). Dentists had more favourable means compared with standard scores, although in the 95th percentile dentists showed more emotional exhaustion than standards indicate. While no overall sex differences were found, male middle-aged dentists tended to show more burnout. Of the working Dutch dentists, 21% had a certain risk, 13% had high overall levels of burnout, and 2.5% were highly burned out. Conclusion: It is concluded that Dutch dentists have relatively favourable mean levels of burnout, but those who are exhausted are extremely exhausted. The male dentist in his forties appears to be most vulnerable to burnout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the validity of the Maslach burnout inventory (MBI), widely used instrument to measure burnout. Burnout is seen as a long-term reaction to occupational stress. The term burnout itself was introduced in the seventies to refer to a phenomenon, which was observed among social workers who had to deal with emotionally needy and demanding individuals. From this study it can be concluded that the MBI is a suitable instrument for administration among Dutch dentists. Reliability coefficients on the three scales are very similar to the manual scores. Theory and instrument originate from, and to a great extent rely on, occupations in the field of social work, nursing and teaching. As was stated in the introduction, dentistry has too many deviations from these occupations to adopt the instrument just like that. The original MBI has been used and validated regularly, which is true to a much lesser degree of its modified translation MBI. Since it appears to be a suitable instrument to measure burnout among dentists, it is expected that much can be learned from a variety of variables that may correlate with the three dimensions of burnout. From studies on occupational stress in dentistry it is well known that certain risk factors are recognized, such as lack of social support, lack of career perspective, or conflicts between providing optimal care and running a business. As burnout is considered to be a possible long-term reaction to occupational stress, structural research on this topic is necessary.