Stress and burnout among postgraduate students in Isfahan Dental School in 2014-2015 educational year

Stress and burnout among postgraduate dental students are factors that can directly affect the practitioners, resulting in low quality of education and patient management. The aim of the present study was to assess the rate of stress and burnout in postgraduate dental students in Isfahan Dental School.
This cross-sectional descriptive/analytical study was performed by the census method on 90 postgraduate dental students. Standard questionnaires were distributed among the postgraduate students for measuring the rate of stress and burnout. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were verified. Data were analyzed with SPSS 20, using descriptive statistical methods, Pearson’s test and t-test. Statistical significance was set at (p value = 0.05).
Thirty-nine male and 51 female postgraduate dental students participated in this study. Total mean stress score was (46.5 ± 11.8), which was considered moderate. The stress rates were no significantly different between males and females (p value = 0.633) but there was a significant difference between two age groups of above and below 28 years (p value = 0.016). Emotional exhaustion (8.9%), personal accomplishment (27.8%) and depersonalization (40%) constituted the components of the high levels of burnout. There was a linear relationship between stress and the three parameters of burnout.
Postgraduate dental students in Isfahan Dental School exhibited a moderate level of stress and a relatively high level of burnout, making it necessary for planning in order to lower the levels of stress and burnout.