Syndrome of professional wear and tear or «burnout» in Andalusian ophthalmology

Burnout syndrome refers to the physical and psychological fatigue suffered by workers as a result of their professional activity. It has three main characteristics: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and lack of personal fulfillment.

To determine the prevalence of burnout syndrome among Andalusian ophthalmologists, both consultants and residents, analyzing its relationship with several sociodemographic variables.

Descriptive cross-sectional study. All the sociodemographic variables were included in a Google® form together with the standardized questionnaire Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS). This form was sent to the Andalusian ophthalmological community by different electronic means (Andalusian Society of Ophthalmology, instant messaging mobile apps, etc.).

One hundred fourty two ophthalmologists answered the form, with a similar distribution by sex and a mean age of 43.77 years, with 67.1% of them meeting criteria of burnout syndrome. Its prevalence was higher among young ophthalmologists, with fewer years of clinical practice, divorced/separated, those with fewer children, belonging to centers in the province of Huelva, workers in rural/regional areas, those with exclusive public activity, consultants with temporary contracts and four-year residents. Regarding subspecialties, its prevalence was higher among those who focused on cornea-ocular surface-refractive surgery.

This study quantify for the first time in Andalusia the prevalence of burnout syndrome among ophthalmologists. The fact that two thirds of the analyzed sample meet criteria proves the need to implement improvements in the clinical and professional conditions of our group.