Triggering Risk Factors of the Burnout Syndrome in Ob/Gyn Physicians from a Reference Public University of Brazil

Abstract

Objective. To identify the risk factors to the development of Burnout Syndrome in Ob/Gyn Brazilian physicians in four dimensions: emotional exhaustion (EE), professional repression (PR), dehumanization (De), and emotional distancing (EmD). Methods. A prospective cross-sectional study was realized with 48 Ob/Gyn physicians (12 lecturers, 12 attending physicians, 12 medical residents, and 12 graduate students) from Department of Obstetrics, São Paulo Federal University (UNIFESP). We used a sociodemographic questionnaire focusing on the activities (administrative, educational, healthcare, and research). We applied a Burnout Syndrome Inventory (BSI) composed of two parts: triggering factors (ISB1) and the Burnout Syndrome (ISB2). The ISB1 is composed of two scales: positive organizational conditions (POC) and negative organizational conditions (NOC). The ISB2 is composed of four scales: EE, PR, De, and EmD. Results. We observed a rate below and above average to POC and NOC, respectively. The dimensions recorded a level above average to EE, an index at the upper limit of the average to De, a median index to EmD, and a median index to PR. Conclusions. The Ob/Gyn physicians are in an area of vulnerability for the development of Burnout Syndrome due to the high level of EE and De, associated with a median index of PR. The high rate of NOC contributes to the triggering of this scenery.

Prevalence of Burnout Syndrome in Patients Admitted with Acute Coronary Syndrome

“…To verify the presence of the syndrome, four dimensions are considered, two of which (EmD and De) are the equivalent of depersonalization in the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) 14 , 25 . The BSI has been previously applied to a sample of Brazilian physicians and showed, as in our study, changes beyond the average in negative work conditions, EE and De 26 . In this study, adverse work conditions also prevailed over positive ones, indicating that the participants notice more demands than resources in performing their professional activities.…”

The Influence of Depression on the Psychometric Properties of the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Human Services Survey: A Cross-Sectional Study With Nursing Assistants

“…The higher reliability of EE compared to DE and PA has been reported by previous studies (30, 53) and for samples from various countries (4). Actually, although instruments capturing burnout have included distinct dimensions [e.g., professional repression, dehumanization, emotional distancing (54, 55); enthusiasm toward the job, indolence, guilt (56)], they tend to maintain the exhaustion dimension (54, 55). Those findings support the original view that EE is the burnout syndrome‘s core dimension (1).…”

Dehumanization as an Ethical Issue in the Health Services Sector

“…In one study on obstetricians and gynecologists working in a high-stress environment, 15% reported having "hardened" against people's problems; 25% reported being more a "technical personnel" and less a "person" in the workplace, and 33% reported becoming more violent-almost daily-after working for a while. Further results indicate that 25% of doctors feel they should be rough so as not to lose their jobs (Bortoletti et al, 2012).…”