The impact of mental workload, work-related and socio-demographic factors on job burnout among emergency medical staff

BACKGROUND: Job burnout syndrome is caused by prolonged exposure to difficult working conditions. Emergency medical services (EMS) staff are exposed to varying levels of mental workload (MWL) depending on the operation, so it is more likely that they experience burnout syndrome. OBJECTIVE: The main aim of the current research was to investigate the effect of MWL, work-related and socio-demographic factors on job burnout among Iranian EMS staff. METHODS: The current cross-sectional and descriptive-analytical research was carried out among 198 EMS. In doing so, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), The NASA task load index (NASA TLX), and an author-developed work-related and socio-demographic factors were distributed among participants to collect data. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (t-test, ANOVA test, multiple linear regression, and Pearson correlation coefficient). RESULTS: The results showed a significant statistical relationship between burnout and MWL. A significant statistical relationship between overall workload and two dimensions of MBI, namely, emotional exhaustion and depersonalization were observed (P < 0.05). Moreover, a significant statistical difference regarding the mean of burnout in the different groups of educational levels and occupational categories were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The EMS staff generally reported moderate levels of MWL and burnout. Findings showed that socio-demographic and occupational factors had little effect on burnout. MWL, education levels, and occupational categories are the main predictors of job burnout.