Burnout Syndrome Among Physicians: The Role of Socio-Demographic Characteristics

Abstract

Objective: Burnout is a syndrome that occurs in occupational groups, which are in close relation with people and includes dimensions of; emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and low sense of personal accomplishment. The aim of the present study is to investigate the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics and burnout syndrome in academic personel working at a hospital of Faculty of Medicine.

Method: 258 physicians working at Baskent University Ankara Hospital have been included in the present study voluntarily, between January - April 2014 and they have been administered Socio-Demographic Data Form and Maslach Burnout Inventory.

Results: Age, academic title, time span in the profession and at the institution, the number of patients daily examined, administrative tasks, receiving research supports, the number of lectures given were related to all dimensions of burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Personnel assignment, the number of monthly shifts, daily duration of work were related to emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Specialty preferences and intention to continue on the profession were associated with emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment. Personnel assignment criteria and time reserved for academic study were related to only emotional exhaustion whereas accessibility to scientific literature was linked to personal accomplishment.

Conclusion: Older age, having an academic title, longer time span in the profession and at the institution, concidering the long term consequences of specialty selection are all individual factors that can be related to burnout syndrome. Developing health policies for an optimal organization of daily work duration, number of patients daily examined and personnel assignment criteria could prevent burnout. Also developing organizational climate to create time for academic study, supporting researches, increasing accessibility to scientific literature and optimization of education seminars in academic physicians could protect them from burnout syndrome. Prospective studies modeling individual and organizational risk factors for burnout on academic physicians will help to further illuminate the measures to protect physicians from burnout syndrome and also contribute to the enhancement of treatment service quality and foster the contribution to academic arena.