Burnout syndrome in the professional work of doctors

Abstract

Objective : to study the severity and analyze the causes of burnout syndrome in doctors of various specialties.

Material and methods . A survey of doctors in which 331 respondents took part was conducted in health care institutions of the Republic of Belarus. The validated method for burnout diagnosis - «Maslach Burnout Inventory» - was applied. The questionnaire includes a general part (questions regarding sex, length of service, place of work, and chosen specialization); 22 questions evaluate burnout syndrome according to 3 domains: «Emotional exhaustion», «Depersonalization», «Reduction of professional achievements»; 14 questions identify possible causes that contribute to the development of burnout syndrome. The study involved doctors of various specialties (obstetrician-gynecologist; anesthetist-resuscitator; general practitioner; pediatrician; ambulance doctor; surgeon). The sociological and statistical methods were used.

Results . The integral index of burnout syndrome for obstetrician-gynecologists (n = 50) was 65.3 points; for anesthetist-resuscitators (n = 46) - 83.1 points; for general practitioners (n = 74) - 71.8 points; for pediatricians (n = 66) - 62.5 points; for ambulance doctors (n = 42) - 86 points; for surgeons (n = 53) - 69.8 points.

Conclusion . Currently, there is a tendency towards an increase in the burnout syndrome rate among all the groups of specialists. The highest indices are observed in the groups of ambulance doctors and anesthetist-resuscitators. At the level of health care insitutions, in order to mitigate the burnout risk factors, the optimization of the organizational environment should include the following criteria: availability of prospects for financial and professional growth of doctors, corporate development and effective leadership; effective trade union management; professional, legal and administrative support of doctors.