Prevalence and associated factors of Burnout Syndrome among dental students at the Universidade Federal do Pará

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Burnout Syndrome (BS) and its associated factors among dental students. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted using a socioeconomic questionnaire and the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Student Survey (MBI-SS), a validated instrument for evaluating BS. The sample comprised 310 undergraduate students from the Federal University of Pará (UFPA). The median age was 22 years, and women represented most of the sample (65.2%). Data were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression performed in two stages. The prevalence of BS among students was 40.6%. Students who reported feeling psychologically harmed by professors’ attitudes (p = 0.008; OR = 3.48), perceived the physical environment of UFPA as having a negative influence (p = 0.010; OR = 8.38), and self-rated their academic performance as insufficient (p = 0.013; OR = 62.05) had higher odds of developing BS. In addition, the combined presence of feeling negatively affected by professors’ attitudes (p = 0.002; OR = 3.48), considering dropping out of the program (p = 0.044; OR = 1.79), and rating academic performance as insufficient (p = 0.004; OR = 57.52) was associated with increased odds of BS. In conclusion, BS was identified in approximately 40% of UFPA dental students and was more frequent among those who reported unfavorable perceptions of their academic experience and performance.