Burnout among dental students: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE: Burnout among dental students has been associated with detrimental effects on their mental health and educational outcomes. This systematic review aims to evaluate the prevalence of burnout in this group. METHODS: A comprehensive search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Academic Search Complete (EBSCO). The search was restricted to studies published from January 2000 to August 2025. Only studies employing the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) were included. A random-effects model was applied, with prevalence data pooled using the Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation. Heterogeneity was assessed using Q and I² statistics. RESULTS: A total of 3,446 records were retrieved, with 27 studies meeting the inclusion criteria and included in the final analysis. The overall prevalence of burnout in dental students was 26.5% (95% CIs: 0.169–0.360, p < 0.1, I2 = 98.2%). For studies employing the MBI-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS), the pooled mean scores for emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and personal accomplishment (PA) were 24.693 (95% CIs: 21.723–27.663, p < 0.1, I2 = 97.7%), 7.135 (95% CIs: 5.969–8.301, p < 0.1, I2 = 96.4%), and 31.949 (95% CIs: 30.661–33.238, p < 0.1, I2 = 93.1%), respectively. For studies using the MBI-Student Survey (MBI-SS), the pooled mean scores for emotional exhaustion (EE), cynicism (CY), and professional efficacy (PE) were 16.210 (95% CIs: 13.481–18.939, p < 0.1, I2 = 99.5%), 9.600 (95% CIs: 5.662–13.539, p < 0.1, I2 = 99.8%), and 16.740 (95% CIs: 10.671–22.809, p < 0.1, I2 = 94.1%), respectively. CONCLUSION: The results of this meta-analysis found that 26.5% of dental students experienced burnout. This finding reflects substantial psychological distress and highlights the need for preventive measures.