Burnout level in Pakistani dentists during COVID-19 pandemic: Cross-sectional national study

Zaina Ahmad; Rubab Zehra Zaidi; Zuha Fatima; Muhammad Muhammad; Muhammad Sohail Zafar; Shaul Hameed Kolarkodi; Muhammad Qasim Javed

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23061

Burnout level in Pakistani dentists during COVID-19 pandemic: Cross-sectional national study

Heliyon. 2023 Nov 30;9(12):e23061. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23061. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Authors

Zaina Ahmad¹, Rubab Zehra Zaidi¹, Zuha Fatima¹, Muhammad Muhammad², Muhammad Sohail Zafar^{3

4

5}, Shaul Hameed Kolarkodi⁶, Muhammad Qasim Javed⁷

Affiliations

¹ House Officer, Islamic International Dental College and Hospital, Riphah International University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
² Department of Operative Dentistry, Riphah International University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
³ Department of Restorative Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Taibah University, Al Madina Al Munawarrah, 41311, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ School of Dentistry, University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan.
⁵ Department of Dental Materials, Islamic International Dental College, Riphah International University, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan.
⁶ Department of Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, Qassim University, Buraidah, Qassim, Saudi Arabia.
⁷ Department of Conservative Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Qassim University, Buraydah, 52571, Qassim, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to determine the prevalence and degree of Burnout during the COVID 19 pandemic in practicing Pakistani dentists.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted dental practices worldwide, leading to increased stress and burnout among dental practitioners. Burnout, characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment, can have detrimental effects on the quality of care and patient safety. Previous studies have shown high rates of burnout among healthcare workers, including dentists. The pandemic has added new challenges, such as financial losses and increased costs due to safety protocols. Recognizing and managing burnout is crucial to mitigate its severe consequences. By understanding the prevalence of burnout in this unique context, strategies can be developed to support dental practitioners and improve their well-being.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a 22-items based validated Maslach Burnout Inventory. The study was conducted between July and September 2021. Practicing dentists across Pakistan were approached via social media platforms. The questions were answered on a 7-point Likert scale. The sums of the scores were used as the evaluation criteria. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 24. Shapiro Wilk test was used to check normality of data. Mann Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis tests were utilized to analyze the differences in the prevalence of burnout amongst the different demographic groups. A P-value of <0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

Results: Total of 282 dentists responded with 116 (41.1 %) male and 166 (58.9 %) female. Majority of the respondents were postgraduate residents (24.8 %), 47.9 % of the practitioners had 0-3 years of work experience, 48.6 % of the respondents were practicing in the Federal region, and 62.8 % of the subjects were between the age of 25-34. Emotional exhaustion was the major dimension of burnout identified in our study with 47.5 % of the population reporting high levels, while only 23 % of the population showed high levels of depersonalization and 29.4 % showed low sense of personal accomplishment.

Conclusion: This study indicates a considerable percentage of burnout in the chosen sample. The mean scores of Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization and Diminished sense of personal accomplishment were all found to be in the moderate range, and that appropriate measures should be taken to manage it.

Keywords: Burnout; COVID-19; Cross-sectional studies; Dentists; Pandemic; Prevalence.