Questionnaire Survey of Burnout Amongst Dentists in Singapore.

BACKGROUND

Burnout results from ongoing, unsuccessfully managed workplace stress, resulting in feelings of exhaustion, increased mental distance from one's job, and reduced professional efficacy.

METHOD

This research used a cross-sectional questionnaire survey design. Graduated dentists in Singapore completed an online questionnaire comprising 5 sections: (a) demographics (3 items); (b) working conditions and experience (12 items); (c) the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) (19 items); (d) supplementary questions assessing causes and outcomes of stress and burnout (15 items); and (e) other outcomes (3 items).

RESULTS

Overall, low to moderate levels of burnout were reported by the 210 survey respondents. Average CBI scale scores (out of 100) were as follows: personal burnout = 49.14, work-related burnout = 46.41, and patient-related burnout = 37.72. High to severe levels of burnout were self-reported by 24 individuals (11.3%) for personal burnout, 17 individuals (8.0%) for work-related burnout, and 9 individuals (4.2%) for patient-related burnout.

CONCLUSIONS

Levels of burnout were generally low to moderate in this sample, with a small proportion of dentists experiencing high levels of burnout. Further research is required to gain clarity on stress and burnout levels across different occupational designations and dentistry settings in Singapore.