Burnout Syndrome Among Spanish Professionals Dedicated to Implant Dentistry: An Observational Study

Abstract

Background: Burnout syndrome (BS) is an occupational condition resulting from chronic stress, characterized by three dimensions, emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DE), and diminished personal accomplishment (PA), particularly prevalent in caregiving professions such as healthcare. The aim of this study is to analyse the prevalence of BS among Spanish dental implantology specialists, along with the impact of demographic, educational, and professional aspects. Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study based on the STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) guidelines and was open to respondents from May to December 2024. An electronic survey based on the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) was sent to members of the Spanish Society of Implants. The data were analysed using descriptive analysis. Results: A total of 305 participants (20.9%) (31.5% females and 68.5% males) completed the questionnaire. The prevalence of BS was 4.3%; however, 61.0% of the dentists showed signs of suffering from the syndrome. The mean values of EE were "average" (20.3 ± 13.8) and of DE and EE "low" (5.1 ± 5.9, and 32.5 ± 14.5, respectively). The factors significantly associated with suffering from BS were being female and having more than 20 years of experience in dental implant treatments. Conclusions: It is advisable to conduct instructive and awareness-raising initiatives among dental professionals to promote an awareness of their mental health, ultimately aiming at preserving their physical and emotional well-being while delivering optimal care to their patients.

Keywords: Maslach burnout inventory; burnout, professional; burnout, psychological; caregiver burden; dental implants; surveys and questionnaires.

Figure 1

Distribution of participants with BS, with some signs (i.e., high values of EE, DE, or low values of PA), or without BS.

Figure 2

Dimensions of BS (EE, emotional exhaustion; DE, depersonalization; PA, personal accomplishment; SD, standard deviation).

Figure 3

Comparison of the prevalence of BS among different countries in the last 10 years (February 2015 to February 2025) [4,5,8,21,22,28,29].

Figure 4

Comparison of BS dimensions among different countries over the past 10 years (February 2015 to February 2025) (EE, emotional exhaustion; DE, depersonalization; PA, personal accomplishment) [4,5,8,21,28].