Self-compassion as a well-being strategy against burnout among dentists: a controlled intervention study.

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.