Non-Cochrane · prognostic · PM41736020
Burnout among dental students: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Mak Chon-Hou, Cao Lei-Ming, Luo Han-Yue, et al. · BMC medical education · 2026 · PubMed · doi:10.1186/s12909-026-08891-8
Findings
Population Undergraduate and postgraduate dental students
18 findings
| Not applicable (single-arm prevalence/level synthesis) | Not applicable | Prevalence of burnout (MBI-HSS or MBI-SS) Cross-sectional (single time point) · Dental education programs (mixed countries) · MBI-SS instrument | Prevalence 0.168 [0.082, 0.277] GRADE not reported 8 studies · 7194 participants |
| Not applicable (single-arm prevalence/level synthesis) | Not applicable | Personal accomplishment mean score (MBI-HSS) Cross-sectional (single time point) · Dental education programs (mixed countries) | Mean score 31.949 [30.661, 33.238] GRADE not reported 12 studies |
| Not applicable (single-arm prevalence/level synthesis) | Not applicable | Prevalence of burnout (MBI-HSS or MBI-SS) Cross-sectional (single time point) · Dental education programs (mixed countries) · Data collected 2019 or earlier (pre-pandemic) | Prevalence 0.161 [0.055, 0.308] GRADE not reported 5 studies · 6545 participants |
| Not applicable (single-arm prevalence/level synthesis) | Not applicable | Emotional exhaustion mean score (MBI-SS) Cross-sectional (single time point) · Dental education programs (mixed countries) | Mean score 16.210 [13.481, 18.939] GRADE not reported 8 studies |
| Not applicable (single-arm prevalence/level synthesis) | Not applicable | Prevalence of burnout (MBI-HSS or MBI-SS) Cross-sectional (single time point) · Dental education programs (mixed countries) · Overall in subgroup analyses (criteria group, data period, income level) | Prevalence 0.231 [0.138, 0.340] GRADE not reported 12 studies · 8141 participants |
| Not applicable (single-arm prevalence/level synthesis) | Not applicable | Prevalence of burnout (MBI-HSS or MBI-SS) Cross-sectional (single time point) · Dental education programs (mixed countries) · Overall in the instrument subgroup analysis (Galan 2014 split into MBI-HSS and MBI-SS) | Prevalence 0.209 [0.117, 0.318] GRADE not reported 12 studies · 8141 participants |
| Not applicable (single-arm prevalence/level synthesis) | Not applicable | Cynicism mean score (MBI-SS) Cross-sectional (single time point) · Dental education programs (mixed countries) | Mean score 9.600 [5.662, 13.539] GRADE not reported 8 studies |
| Not applicable (single-arm prevalence/level synthesis) | Not applicable | Prevalence of burnout (MBI-HSS or MBI-SS) Cross-sectional (single time point) · Dental education programs (mixed countries) · Type 2 criteria group (mixed/undefined burnout criteria) | Prevalence 0.270 [0.118, 0.457] GRADE not reported 6 studies · 7146 participants |
| Not applicable (single-arm prevalence/level synthesis) | Not applicable | Prevalence of burnout (MBI-HSS or MBI-SS) Cross-sectional (single time point) · Dental education programs (mixed countries) | Prevalence 0.265 [0.169, 0.360] GRADE not reported 12 studies · 8141 participants |
| Not applicable (single-arm prevalence/level synthesis) | Not applicable | Professional efficacy mean score (MBI-SS) Cross-sectional (single time point) · Dental education programs (mixed countries) | Mean score 16.740 [10.671, 22.809] GRADE not reported 8 studies |
| Not applicable (single-arm prevalence/level synthesis) | Not applicable | Prevalence of burnout (MBI-HSS or MBI-SS) Cross-sectional (single time point) · Dental education programs (mixed countries) · High-income economies | Prevalence 0.310 [0.238, 0.386] GRADE not reported 5 studies · 692 participants |
| Not applicable (single-arm prevalence/level synthesis) | Not applicable | Prevalence of burnout (MBI-HSS or MBI-SS) Cross-sectional (single time point) · Dental education programs (mixed countries) · Non-high-income economies | Prevalence 0.181 [0.078, 0.316] GRADE not reported 7 studies · 7449 participants |
| Not applicable (single-arm prevalence/level synthesis) | Not applicable | Prevalence of burnout (MBI-HSS or MBI-SS) Cross-sectional (single time point) · Dental education programs (mixed countries) · Type 1 criteria group (defined three-dimensional criteria) | Prevalence 0.193 [0.101, 0.306] GRADE not reported 6 studies · 995 participants |
| Not applicable (single-arm prevalence/level synthesis) | Not applicable | Emotional exhaustion mean score (MBI-HSS) Cross-sectional (single time point) · Dental education programs (mixed countries) | Mean score 24.693 [21.723, 27.663] GRADE not reported 12 studies |
| Not applicable (single-arm prevalence/level synthesis) | Not applicable | Prevalence of burnout (MBI-HSS or MBI-SS) Cross-sectional (single time point) · Dental education programs (mixed countries) · DL random-effects estimate shown in forest plot | Prevalence 0.23 [0.16, 0.29] GRADE not reported 12 studies · 8141 participants |
| Not applicable (single-arm prevalence/level synthesis) | Not applicable | Depersonalization mean score (MBI-HSS) Cross-sectional (single time point) · Dental education programs (mixed countries) | Mean score 7.135 [5.969, 8.301] GRADE not reported 12 studies |
| Not applicable (single-arm prevalence/level synthesis) | Not applicable | Prevalence of burnout (MBI-HSS or MBI-SS) Cross-sectional (single time point) · Dental education programs (mixed countries) · Data collected after 2019 (pandemic/post-pandemic) | Prevalence 0.287 [0.211, 0.369] GRADE not reported 7 studies · 1596 participants |
| Not applicable (single-arm prevalence/level synthesis) | Not applicable | Prevalence of burnout (MBI-HSS or MBI-SS) Cross-sectional (single time point) · Dental education programs (mixed countries) · MBI-HSS instrument | Prevalence 0.300 [0.204, 0.407] GRADE not reported 4 studies · 947 participants |
Included primary studies 29
Open in Studies| Study | Year | Also included by | Outcomes it informs here | Trial data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Frajerman 2022 Mental health in medical, dental and pharmacy students: A cross-sectional study. PMID:35992770 | 2022 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| A Joseph 2023 Correlates of burnout in predoctoral dental students in the United States. PMID:37073795 | 2023 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| A Nakhostin-Ansari 2022 Suicidal Ideation and Its Associated Factors in Medical, Dental, and Pharmacy Students: A Cross-Sectional Study during COVID-19 Pandemic. PMID:36478735 | 2022 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| A Shetty 2015 STRESS AND BURNOUT ASSESSMENT AMONG POST GRADUATE DENTAL STUDENTS DOI:10.1055/s-0040-1703859 | 2015 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| AC Mafla 2015 Burnout prevalence and correlates amongst Colombian dental students: the STRESSCODE study. PMID:25470689 | 2015 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| AE Ramírez-López 2024 Burnout syndrome in peruvian dental students DOI:10.20396/bjos.v23i00.8671300 | 2024 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| AE Ramírez-López 2024 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| BB Partido 2020 Relationship between emotional intelligence, stress, and burnout among dental hygiene students. PMID:32359093 | 2020 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| C Korkmaz 2023 Assessment of burnout level among clinical dental students during the COVID-19 pandemic. PMID:37833687 | 2023 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| DA Groneberg 2015 Prevention of study-related stress symptoms: health-promoting behavior among dental students. PMID:25626712 | 2015 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| DH Badran 2010 Burnout among clinical dental students at Jordanian universities. PMID:20795430 | 2010 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| EJ Kwak 2021 High levels of burnout and depression in a population of senior dental students in a school of dentistry in Korea. PMID:33384780 | 2021 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| F Galán 2014 Burnout, depression and suicidal ideation in dental students. PMID:24121916 | 2014 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| GH Kwak 2024 Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on senior dental students in Korea: Examining stress, burnout, and depression. PMID:38618054 | 2024 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| H Eren 2016 BURNOUT AND OCCUPATIONAL PARTICIPATION AMONG TURKISH DENTAL STUDENTS. PMID:29634200 | 2016 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| I AlShahrani 2022 Psychometric Properties and Validation of the Arabic Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey in Saudi Dental Students. PMID:35602393 | 2022 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| JL Jiménez-Ortiz 2019 Emotional exhaustion, burnout, and perceived stress in dental students. PMID:31311371 | 2019 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| K Divaris (Greece) 2012 Stress and burnout in postgraduate dental education. PMID:22251325 | 2012 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| K Divaris (Swiss) 2012 Stress and burnout among Swiss dental residents. PMID:22914975 | 2012 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| KC Pentapati 2018 Burnout syndrome and associated factors among dental students DOI:10.5958/0976-5506.2018.00697.6 | 2018 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| L Yang 2022 Relationship between Job Burnout, Depressive Symptoms, and Career Choice Regret among Chinese Postgraduates of Stomatology. PMID:36498119 | 2022 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| LA Chauca Bajaña 2023 The Prevalence of the Burnout Syndrome and Factors Associated in the Students of Dentistry in Integral Clinic: A Cross-Sectional Study. PMID:37645692 | 2023 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| M Balkis 2015 The prevalence and consequences of burnout on a group of preclinical dental students. PMID:26430363 | 2015 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| P Prinz 2012 Burnout, depression and depersonalisation--psychological factors and coping strategies in dental and medical students. PMID:22403595 | 2012 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| PM Rivera 2023 Síndrome de Burnout en estudiantes de odontología durante el regreso a la presencialidad DOI:10.6018/edumed.582211 | 2023 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| PM Rivera 2023 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| S Bhattacharyya 2023 Relationship of Burnout and Extra-Curricular Activities among Dental Students: An Original Research. PMID:37654369 | 2023 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| S Ghafoor 2018 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Z Mohammad 2021 DOI:10.15761/0101-60830000000308 | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
Review question
| Element | Planned (methods) | Found (results) |
|---|---|---|
| Population | Undergraduate and postgraduate students currently enrolled in formal dental or oral medicine education programs | 11,433 dental students (range 30 to 5,647) in 27 studies; 21 undergraduate and 6 postgraduate samples; Asia (n=14), Europe (n=6), South America (n=4), North America (n=3) |
| Intervention | Not applicable (burnout prevalence; no intervention) | Not applicable |
| Comparison | Not applicable (single-arm design) | Not applicable |
| Outcomes | Burnout prevalence and/or mean subscale scores (SD) measured with MBI-HSS or MBI-SS | Burnout prevalence (12 studies, 8,141 students); MBI-HSS subscale means EE, DP, PA (12 studies); MBI-SS subscale means EE, CY, PE (8 studies); associated factors narrative (22 studies) |
| Study designs | Observational studies published from 2000 onward, English full text | 27 cross-sectional studies (16 MBI-HSS, 10 MBI-SS, 1 both); JBI appraisal: more than half at high risk of bias |
| Timing | Not specified | Not specified |