Burnout among Zagazig University’s anesthesiologists: prevalence, risk factors, and coping strategies: a cross-sectional study

Background Burnout syndrome develops a psychological response to sustained exposure to professional stressors without a chance for recovery. Anaesthesiologists are highly vulnerable to suffer such disorders. Burnout syndrome is characterized by three main domains: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal accomplishment. The current study was conducted to determine burnout syndrome’s prevalence and risk factors among Zagazig University anesthesiologists. Methods All currently working Zagazig University anesthesiologists were invited to participate in the current cross-sectional survey study by responding to the survey questionnaire sent to them via official emails. The study questionnaire included demographic and professional characteristics, working environment assessment, screening for burnout syndrome according to the Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey (MBI- HSS) for physicians, and assessment of coping strategies. Results The prevalence of burnout syndrome was 58.9%. Risk factors for developing burnout syndrome included working as a resident or assistant lecturer, increased frequency of night shifts/week, absence of clear job description, stressful work environment, imbalance between family and work times, and passive coping behavior. The most frequently selected training courses by anesthesiologists were stress (83.7%) and time management (62.2%). The chosen strategies to reduce stress were activating the professional supervision system (96.7%) and ensuring a well-equipped and organized working place (86.7%). Conclusions The current study demonstrated a high prevalence of burnout syndrome among Zagazig University anesthesiologists. it is recommended to develop a well-designated program aiming to reduce stress and guide the anesthesiologists to adopt active coping strategies.