Beyond exhaustion: Characterizing burnout syndrome in medical professionals as an emerging occupational health issue

Abstract

Burnout syndrome arises as a response to chronic occupational stress, resulting in dysfunctions that detrimentally affect the health of medical professionals. We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the prevalence of burnout among physicians using Maslach Burnout Inventory. Among 319 participants, 32.3% experienced severe burnout. Furthermore, we detected a strong negative correlation between emotional exhaustion and age (r = −0.248; p < 0.001), years worked (r = −0.252; p < 0.001), and self-perceived quality of life (QoL; r = −0.574; p < 0.001); a strong negative correlation between depersonalization and age (r = −0.301; p < 0.001), years worked (r = −0.323; p < 0.001), and self-perceived QoL (r = −0.342; p < 0.001); and a strong positive correlation between personal accomplishment and self-perceived QoL (r = 0.450; p < 0.001). Early detection of burnout is crucial to implement preventive strategies that prioritize staff well-being and quality of patient care.