Ronald C. Gorter

Factorial validity of the Maslach burnout inventory - Dutch version (MBI-NL) among dentists

Burnout is considered to be a long-term reaction to occupational stress. It is characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and diminished personal accomplishment. The most widely used instrument to measure burnout is the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), developed by Maslach and Jackson (1986). From this instrument, Schaufeli and van Dierendonck (1995a) developed a somewhat modified Dutch version: the MBI-NL. Burnout among dentists has hardly been studied. Since the professions that the MBI-NL was developed upon are quite different from dentistry, the aim of this study was to test the three-factor structure of the MBI-NL against alternative structures among dentists. Both principal components analysis (PCA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were examined in a representative sample of 709 Dutch general dental practitioners (75 per cent response rate). The three-factor structure shows the best fit to the underlying data, while other psychometric qualities are very satisfactory. It is concluded that the three-factor structure of the MBI-NL is superior to alternative structures, and that the MBI-NL is a highly suitable instrument to measure burnout among dentists. Copyright

Burnout development among dentists: a longitudinal study

Knowledge on the development of burnout among dentists is important for purposes of prevention and intervention. Using a two-wave longitudinal design, this study examined the chronological sequence of the three dimensions of the Maslach Burnout Inventory: emotional exhaustion; depersonalization; and personal accomplishment. Structural Equation Modelling was employed among a representative sample of Dutch dentists to examine the fit of several models proposed in earlier research. The results indicated that a model in which emotional exhaustion precedes depersonalization, which in turn precedes personal accomplishment, shows an adequate fit among dentists. However, an alternative model, in which personal accomplishment precedes emotional exhaustion, had an even better fit. In addition to the test of these a priori models, an ad hoc model was constructed that best fitted the current data. This model indicated emotional exhaustion to precede the development of depersonalization and personal accomplishment independently. Although not univocal, the results showed that emotional exhaustion should not be discarded as an early sign of burnout. This is in line with the view that emotional exhaustion can be considered as the key dimension of burnout.