Burnout among dental students: Validation of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory

BackgroundDental students experience physical and psychological burnout due to stress and anxiety, which affects their performance and efficacy in social and academic affairs.ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) among dental students and evaluate the association between burnout and related factors.MethodsThis cross-sectional study administered online questionnaires to dental students enrolled at private and public sector dental colleges in Pakistan between January and July 2023. Cronbach's alpha was used to test reliability, and factor analysis was conducted to determine the construct validity.ResultsOf the 257 participants, 73% were females and 27% were males. The total mean score for Burnout (CBI) domains was 54.7 ± 12.0; the highest score was observed for work-related burnout (WRB) = 21.6 ± 5.7, followed by personal burnout (PB) = 18.8 ± 4.5 and patient/client-related burnout (CRB) = 14.1 ± 5.3. Moderate levels of burnout were found to be prevalent in dental students. Overall final-year students had the highest levels of total burnout. Client-related burnout was higher in the students from public institutes.ConclusionsBurnout was common among all the dental students; however, students in their final clinical years were most affected. No specific gender differences were observed for overall burnout levels among students. Hence, efforts should be directed towards formulating policies to minimise burnout levels among dental students so they can provide high-quality patient care empathetically.