Burnout and Quality of Life Among Massage Therapists with Visual Impairment

Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of burnout syndrome and quality of life (QoL) among Polish massage therapists, and determine their relationship with sociodemographic and work-related variables. Methods A group of 43 participants aged 28-63, who were blind or poor-sighted were recruited for the study. They were surveyed with sociodemographic data questionnaire and the Polish versions of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey and WHOQOL-BREF. Results The overall level of exhaustion was 6.79 +/- 4.45, cynicism was estimated at 7.30 +/- 3.43, and professional efficacy was 23.3 +/- 5.44. Regarding QoL, the psychological domain was the highest (73.6 +/- 10.0), while the physical domain was the lowest (61.1 +/- 6.94). None of the sociodemographic variables or occupational factors had any statistical relationship with any burnout subscale. Significant correlations were found between the psychological domain of QoL and marital status (H=6.570; p=0.037), years of practice (=0.315; t=2.124; p=0.039), hours of practice per week (=0.364; t=2.505; p=0.016) and private practice (z=2.393; p=0.017). Significant relationships were found between the environmental domain of QoL and the place of residence (H=5.977; p=0.050) and between hours of practice per week (=0.335; t=2.276; p=0.028). A significant positive correlation was noted between professional efficacy and the social relationship domain (=0.306; t=2.056; p=0.046). Conclusion Job activity plays a crucial function in the psychosocial rehabilitation of massage therapists with visual impairment. This was confirmed by the low risk of burnout, and the psychological domain being the highest of QoL.