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

Objective: To assess burnout prevalence in physicians at a University Hospital Emergency Service Unit. Method: 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. Results: 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 hours 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 years) was a significant (p = 0.058) predictor of burnout syndrome and total working hours (>= 44 weekly) was also associated with the syndrome at a p value of 0.042. Conclusions: 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.