The Effect of Too Much Caring: A Preliminary Study

Purpose: To determine the presence of burnout and psychiatric morbidity among prosthodontic residents and prosthodontists working in a maxillofacial prosthetic clinic and to compare these outcomes between those treating cancer patients and those not treating cancer patients. Materials and Methods: Two questionnaires were used: the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). MBI assesses the three components of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment), and the GHQ-12 screens for nonpsychotic psychiatric morbidity. Six residents and four specialists involved in managing head and neck cancer patients were referred to as cancer clinicians to distinguish them from the specialists not involved in managing cancer patients (noncancer clinicians), who served as controls for other stressors within this work environment. Results: Twelve (86%) questionnaires were returned. There were no statistically significant (P = .89) differences between the cancer and noncancer clinicians from the GHQ-12 results; however, the cancer clinicians showed increased levels of exhaustion and depersonalization. These differences were not statistically significant (P = .36 and P = .41, respectively), but the effect sizes (Cohen's d) were moderate. For personal accomplishment both groups scored in the moderate burnout range, with the noncancer clinicians scoring higher. Conclusion: There is no doubt that the clinicians participating in this preliminary study were under some stress, and a moderate effect size indicated that cancer clinicians experience this to a greater extent.