Exploring the Interplay of Alexithymia, Emotional Intelligence and Burnout among Doctors

Abstract

Alexithymia, a psychological condition characterized by difficulty in identifying and describing emotions, has been linked to various mental health symptoms. This study aims to elucidate the differential responses to prolonged occupational stress, particularly among medical professional, by examining the role of alexithymia and emotional intelligence in the development of burnout. A cross-sectional experimental design was employed, involving a voluntary and anonymous questionnaire survey completed by 200 medical practitioners. The survey encompassed demographic information, occupational detail and measures of emotional intelligence, burnout & Alexithymia. Results, accounting for work-related characteristics, indicate that alexithymia significantly contributed to the depersonalization and personal accomplishment dimensions of burnout, contrary to expectations, emotional intelligence did not demonstrate greater explanatory power for burnout compared alexithymia as a more critical predictor of burnout in medical professionals than emotional intelligence, suggesting the need for targeted intervention focusing on emotional processing skills within the population.