Síndrome de burnout, depresión e inteligencia emocional en el personal de salud de un hospital de la ciudad de Durán (Ecuador)

Abstract

Background: Burnout syndrome and depression constitute a concern to healthcare workers, particularly for those who care for patients in the emergency room and intensive care units, due to the physical and mental health wear. Emotional intelligence provides skills to help health professionals adapt to new situations in positive ways. This investigation will evaluate the association between burnout syndrome, depression, emotional intelligence and health behaviors in healthcare workers. Methodology: This is a correlational crosssectional cohort study with a population made up of healthcare workers from IESS Duran hospital, Ecuador, with a sample of 202 employees. Several surveys are used to determine demographic data, as well as clinical data such as anthropometric measurements and vital signs. Other surveys are also used: The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), the Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS-24) and the PHQ-9 depression screening questionnaire.Results: 71.2% of the participants had significant scores in at least one MBI subscale. 10.6% show high emotional exhaustion, 23.7% have high depersonalization and 50.5% have low personal fulfillment. 12.4% demonstrated burnout traits and 11.4% had moderate to severe levels of depression, indicating that there is positive associat ion between burnout and depression. On the other hand, emotional intelligence appears negatively associated with burnout and depression. The regression analysis indicates that high depression scores are explained by the combined effect of excessive emotional fatigue, high burnout, and low emotional repair. Conclusion: Healthcare workers are exposed to high levels of responsibility, suffering in patients and death, which happens more particularly when a health crisis occurs. This leads to a higher risk of burnout and depression. It is necessary to implement individual and organizational protection strategies that enhance emotional intelligence, as a way to avoid these psychosocial risks.