Burnout and empathy in dental students: a cross-sectional study of their association and related factors
BMC Medical Education, cilt.26, sa.1, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 26 Sayı: 1
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1186/s12909-026-09083-0
- Dergi Adı: BMC Medical Education
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, MEDLINE, Directory of Open Access Journals
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Burnout, Dental students, Empathy, Sociodemographic factors
- Uşak Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Background: Burnout and empathy are essential constructs in medical and dental education, influencing patient–provider relationships, professional satisfaction, and clinical outcomes. This study investigated the relationship between burnout and empathy among dental students and examined the impact of sociodemographic factors on these constructs. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted during the 2020–2021 academic year at the Faculty of Dentistry, Uşak University, Türkiye. A total of 363 students participated (response rate: 87.26%). Due to COVID-19 restrictions, data were collected electronically using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Student Survey, and the student version of the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy. Statistical analyses included the Shapiro–Wilk test, Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis test with Bonferroni correction, and Spearman correlation analysis. Results: Overall, 65.3% of students reported moderate burnout, and 63.9% reported moderate empathy. Several sociodemographic variables showed significant associations with both constructs. At the subscale level, emotional exhaustion positively correlated with perspective taking, whereas perspective taking was negatively associated with academic efficacy. The “standing in the patient’s shoes” dimension was negatively correlated with both overall burnout and emotional exhaustion. No significant associations were observed for the remaining subscales (p <.05). Conclusions: Dental students exhibited moderate levels of burnout and empathy. The observed subscale correlations reveal a complex interplay between these constructs, emphasizing the need for educational strategies within dental curricula that reduce burnout and promote empathy to support student well-being and professional development.