Burnout syndrome and related factors among health team employees

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Vafaee-Najar, Ali^{a; b; 1} | Delshad, Mohammad Hossein^{c; d; e; 2} | Pourhaji, Roya^{f; 3} | Tabesh, Hamed^{g; 4} | Pourhaji, Fatemeh^{c; d; e; 5; *}

Affiliations: [a] Department of Health Management and Economics, School of Health, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences | [b] Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran | [c] Department of Public Health, School of Health, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran | [d] Health Sciences Research Center, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran | [e] Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran | [f] Faculty of Education and Psychology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran | [g] Department of Medical Informatics, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

Correspondence: [*] Address for correspondence: Fatemeh Pourhaji, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Razi St., Ferdowsi Blvd., Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran. Postal Code: 9516915169. Tel.: +98 51 52226013; Fax: +98 5152246057. E-mail: pourhajif1@thums.ac.ir.

Note: [1] ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2499-2687

Note: [2] ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3512-9010

Note: [3] ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9341-332x

Note: [4] ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3081-0488

Note: [5] ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6075-5307

Abstract: BACKGROUND:Burnout is not only related to mental health but also to efficiency. Thus, recognizing effective coping strategies has a significant role in improving mental health, the efficiency and productivity of human resources, and making better the level of quality of service. OBJECTIVE:To determine burnout syndrome and examine related factors among the employees of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. METHOD:This cross-sectional study was conducted among 600 employees at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. They were selected by a stratified sampling method. The data collection tool was the demographic information and the Burnout Self-Test Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) questionnaire. Data were analyzed through SPSS software version 20, using descriptive statistics and independent samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson and Spearman regression. RESULTS:The findings showed that emotional exhaustion (EE) and depersonalization (DP) in the majority of employees were high and personal accomplishment (PA) was low at 88.33% of cases. All participants presented burnout. However, participants aged 35-40 years, those with professional and Ph.D. degrees, and research staff reported higher burnout levels. CONCLUSION:Job burnout and its subscale levels among the employees were high. Job burnout is associated with socioeconomic status that can be affected by individual, organizational, management, and environmental factors. Therefore, this study suggests that employees need to get out of EE and DP conditions for higher job performance. Additionally, further research is required to examine the long-term effects of workplace burnout.

Keywords: Burnout, psychological, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, mental health

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-220485

Journal: Work, vol. 76, no. 4, pp. 1493-1499, 2023