Stress Factors Associated With Burnout Syndrome in a Hospital Emergency Service: An Observational Study

To assess burnout prevalence in physicians at a University Hospital Emergency Service Unit.

An observational, cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at the Emergency Service Unit in a University Hospital. To assess levels of burnout, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used. The MBI assesses levels of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal achievement.

Thirty-six physicians from the Emergency Service Unit were included in the study. The gender distribution was 50% in each group. The median age was 36 years old with a range of 27 to 52 years old. Sixty-one percent worked more than 44 h per week. Sixty-one percent of the physicians showed a high burnout index and 14% of the physicians had a high score in all three of the scales in the MBI. Furthermore, in this study, 41% of the participants showed high emotional exhaustion, 50% exhibited high depersonalization and 22% low personal achievement. Regression analysis demonstrated that age (≥ 35) was a significant (p = 0.058) predictor of burnout syndrome and total working hours (≥ 44) was also associated with the syndrome at a p value of 0.042.

A high burnout prevalence was observed in our population, similar to the one shown in the literature, especially due to depersonalization. Age could represent a stress factor when compared to other occupations where more on the job experience may be beneficial in reducing stress. In addition, a high workload increased stress and tended to lead to burnout.