Job stress, burnout, and job satisfaction in sleep apnea patients

To assess job stress, burnout, and job satisfaction in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).

A total of 182 patients with OSAS and 71 healthy individuals completed the Job Content Questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey, the Index of Job Satisfaction, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. All participants were assessed with full-night polysomnography.

Survey scores of patients diagnosed with OSAS only differed from those of the control group in the emotional exhaustion dimension (P = 0.015). According to a multivariate analysis, the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was only correlated with perceived support at work (β coefficient = 0.142; P = 0.048). Associations were found between subjective sleep quality, perceived support from coworkers, and supervisors (β = 0.157; P = 0.025), psychological demands (β = 0.226; P = 0.001), emotional exhaustion (β = 0,405; P = 0.000), and cynicism (β = 0.224; P = 0.002). The study also revealed associations between excessive daytime sleepiness and the burnout dimensions emotional exhaustion (β = 0.232; P = 0.000) and cynicism (β = 0.139; P = 0.048).

Objective parameters of OSAS such as the AHI seem to have limited influence on the psychosocial aspects of the occupational life of patients with OSAS. There is evidence of significant associations between the subjective symptoms of the disease, such as daytime sleepiness, subjective sleep quality, job stress, and burnout.