Burnout syndrome in public service dentists

Objective: to assesses the prevalence of the Burnout Syndrome in surgeon-dentists, from the public health service, and its association with variables of interest. Method: The study included a total of 60 professionals from the public health service in the city of Araraquara – SP, Brazil. A socio-demographic and labour questionnaire and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) were used. Descriptive statistics and an association study, using the chi-square test, were applied. Results: A total of 60.0% of the participants were women and the mean age was of 41.9±7.6 years. Most professionals had a regular perception of their working conditions, facilities, materials and equipment. 20.0% of the individuals felt emotionally drained by work, 35.6% worn out at the end of a workday, 27.1% when waking up to face another day at work, and 17.2% often feel consumed by work. The prevalence of Burnout was of 16.7%. There was a significant association between high Burnout levels and the time working in public service (p=0.017), being the professionals with less than 10 years of experience the most affected ones. Conclusion: The onset of Burnout Syndrome in civil servants highlights the need for developing coping strategies especially aimed at professionals with less seniority.