Self-compassion as a well-being strategy against burnout among dentists: a controlled intervention study
BMC Psychology, cilt.14, sa.1, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 14 Sayı: 1
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1186/s40359-026-04571-w
- Dergi Adı: BMC Psychology
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Psycinfo, Directory of Open Access Journals, Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Burnout, Cortisol, Dentistry, Interleukin-1β, Interleukin-6, Mindfulness, Oxytocin, Self-compassion
- Çukurova Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Background: The dental profession is inherently demanding, often leading to chronic stress and an increased risk of burnout among practitioners. Burnout has been associated with dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, alterations in cortisol levels, and heightened inflammatory responses. Mindfulness-based self-compassion (MBCL) training has emerged as a promising approach for mitigating occupational stress and supporting well-being. Methods: This controlled intervention study examined the associations between an 8-week MBCL program and biochemical markers (cortisol, interleukin-6, interleukin-1β, and oxytocin), as well as psychological outcomes (burnout, mindfulness awareness, self-compassion, and anxiety) in dentists. A total of 49 participants were allocated to either the MBCL training group or a control group. Results: Following the intervention, participants in the MBCL group showed lower IL-6 and IL-1β levels, a more adaptive diurnal cortisol pattern, and higher oxytocin levels compared with controls. In addition, reductions in burnout and anxiety scores, as well as increases in self-compassion and mindfulness awareness, were observed in the MBCL group. Conclusions: These findings suggest that MBCL training may be associated with improvements in psychological well-being and stress-related biochemical markers among dentists. However, given the non-randomized design and relatively small sample size, the results should be interpreted as preliminary and hypothesis-generating rather than causal. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06804720 registration date 20/01/2025.