Beyond exhaustion: Characterizing burnout syndrome in medical professionals as an emerging occupational health issue

Burnout syndrome arises as a response to chronic occupational stress, resulting in dysfunctions that detrimentally affect the health of medical professionals. We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the prevalence of burnout among physicians using Maslach Burnout Inventory. Among 319 participants, 32.3% experienced severe burnout. Furthermore, we detected a strong negative correlation between emotional exhaustion and age (<i>r</i> = -0.248; <i>p</i> < 0.001), years worked (<i>r</i> = -0.252; <i>p</i> < 0.001), and self-perceived quality of life (QoL; <i>r</i> = -0.574; <i>p</i> < 0.001); a strong negative correlation between depersonalization and age (<i>r</i> = -0.301; <i>p</i> < 0.001), years worked (<i>r</i> = -0.323; <i>p</i> < 0.001), and self-perceived QoL (<i>r</i> = -0.342; <i>p</i> < 0.001); and a strong positive correlation between personal accomplishment and self-perceived QoL (<i>r</i> = 0.450; <i>p</i> < 0.001). Early detection of burnout is crucial to implement preventive strategies that prioritize staff well-being and quality of patient care.