Experiences of burnout in odontologists in the Valencian Community

Abstract

The health professionals have high stress and burnout levels being dentistry a little-studied specialty in the health profession in this respect. The objective of this study was to analyze burnout in dentists in the Valencian Community, analyzing the relationship in dentists between job satisfaction, general self-esteem and perceived stress. To this end, an observational study was carried out, where data was collected from 366 dentists, who filled out a series of online questionnaires anonymously between January and May 2018. The results showed that the participants had burnout levels below average, stress levels slightly above average, with high levels of job satisfaction and self-esteem. Self-esteem was positively and significantly related to job satisfaction and negatively to stress and burnout. Finally, linear regression analysis showed that the perception of stress positively and significantly predicted the overall burnout sensation experienced by the participants, while both job satisfaction perception and self-esteem negatively and significantly predicted participant burnout. We concluded that to prevent burnout, adequate job satisfaction and low levels of stress must be promoted, together with high levels of self-esteem in the professional's life.