BURNOUT SYNDROME IN HELPING PROFESSIONS

Burnout syndrome occurs as a consequence of stressful, demanding and responsible professional activities in various industries. The most systematic studies of this problem were carried out by Christina Maslach through an examination of three symptoms - emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced professional efficacy. Based on the results that show that professionals who belong to helping professions are the most exposed to this syndrome, the aim of this paper is to examine their sense of professional efficacy, level of depersonalization and emotional exhaustion, as well as the difference in the presence of burnout syndrome's symptoms with regard to the measured socio-demographic variables. The research was conducted on a convenient sample of 98 respondents who are employed in the social protection system in Serbia, using the MBI-GS questionnaire, which measures the respondent's attitude towards work in the continuum from engagement to burnout. The results showed a relatively high degree of emotional exhaustion, a moderate level of depersonalization and a moderate level of satisfaction with success at work. The results can be significant from the aspect of considering the possibility of applying preventive measures for the preservation and improvement of life quality and professional efficacy of helping profession employees, as well as from the aspect of planning and developing burnout prevention competencies through their initial education.