ORIGINAL PAPER
Job burnout among Polish dentists: the role of sensory processing sensitivity and emotional intelligence
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SWPS University, Sopot, Poland
(Department of Psychology in Sopot)
Online publication date: 2024-11-28
Corresponding author
Beata Pszczółkowska
SWPS University, Department of Psychology in Sopot, Polna 16/20, 81-745 Sopot, Poland
Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2024;37(5):524-34
HIGHLIGHTS
- Sensory processing sensitivity increases job burnout in the group of dentists.
- Emotional intelligence may have a protective effect on burnout in dentists.
- Preventing job burnout is important for the quality of health care.
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ABSTRACT
Objectives: Job strain in dentistry makes the profession highly susceptible to occupational burnout. People with high sensory processing sensitivity
(SPS) perceive workplace as more stressful and more demanding. Emotional intelligence (EI) is both a trait and an ability, which helps individuals
adapt to the environment and reduces burnout. This study examines the relationship between SPS and burnout among Polish dentists and whether
EI may be a protective factor against burnout in a group of highly sensitive dentists. Material and Methods: Polish dentists (N = 201) answered
a questionnaire, the short Polish version of the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS-10), the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire – Short Form
(TEIQue-SF), the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), and the demographic data questionnaire. Results: Moderated hierarchical regression analyses
showed that SPS can predict burnout factors exhaustion (p < 0.001) and disengagement (p = 0.012). Higher trait SPS was associated with higher
burnout factors. Emotional intelligence can predict burnout factors exhaustion (p < 0.001) and disengagement (p < 0.001). Higher trait EI was associated
with lower burnout factors. Also it turned out that EI moderates the relationship between SPS and burnout factor exhaustion (p = 0.015). The
findings illustrated reverse buffering effect. UNIANOVA analyses showed that EI may have a protective effect on burnout, although this effect decreases
for exhaustion and disappears for disengagement in the group of highly sensitive dentists. Conclusions: Sensory processing sensitivity can
help to identify dentists who are at risk to develop burnout. Training to increase EI levels can be implemented to reduce the risk of burnout among
dentists, although it appears to be insufficient among those at higher risk, i.e., the highly sensitive dentists. This shows the importance of searching
for other possible factors that could protect highly sensitive dentists from burnout. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2024;37(5):524–34