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.