Though dental hygienists reported moderate levels of self-compassion and still get joy from helping patients, they also felt work-related physical, psychological, and emotional exhaustion. The study was published on February 2 in the Journal of Dental Hygiene.
Improving self-compassion and compassion satisfaction among dental hygienists may prevent compassion fatigue, which reduces the risk of burnout, the authors wrote.
“Strategies might include personal (e.g., positive self-talk and self-care) and workplace (e.g., employee wellness resources) approaches,” wrote the authors, led by Linda D. Boyd, RDH, RD, EdD, of the Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Boston.
Often, dental hygienists face demanding work, stressful situations, and other challenges that can affect not only patient outcomes but their own personal health and wellness. While there is ample research in nursing and other healthcare professions related to compassion and burnout, there is limited research related to dental hygienists.
To explore the perceived levels of self-compassion and their relationship with professional quality of life in clinical dental hygienists, a cross-sectional survey was conducted via social media. The survey was completed by 167 hygienists.
The Professional Quality of Life-21, with the subscales compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue, and the Self-Compassion Scale, with the subscales of self-kindness, self-judgment, common humanity, isolation, mindfulness, and overidentification, were used for data collection. Furthermore, data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, correlations, and regression modeling, according to the study.
For self-compassion, the mean score was 2.85. The mean score for compassion satisfaction was 37.86, and it was 25.62 for compassion fatigue. All the scores were in the moderate range, the authors wrote.
Moreover, regression models revealed statistically significant correlations to compassion satisfaction and fatigue. In the model for compassion satisfaction, self-kindness (β=2.10, t[.225] = 2.078, p=.039) and mindfulness (β=2.50, t[.250] = 2.312, p=.022) emerged as predictors. In the model for compassion fatigue, the predictors were self-judgment (β=−.33, t[162]=-3.53, p<.001) and isolation (β=-.215, t[162] = -2.282, p=.024) plus the average number of hours worked per week providing patient care (β=.147, t[162] = 2.217, p=.028), they wrote.
The study had several limitations, including its reliance on self-report measures, which can lead to recall and social desirability biases, the authors wrote.
Challenges providing patient care and the routine demands of the workplace can cause poor professional quality of life, affecting the emotional and physical health of dental hygienists, which can lead to burnout, they wrote.
“Implementing workplace and personal strategies to enhance professional quality of life and self-compassion can have a positive effect on patient – provider interactions and overall well-being for dental hygienists,” Boyd and co-authors wrote.
