Coping with work-related stress in health care professionals – strategies for prevention of burnout and depression

Abstract

The prevalence of depression and burnout among health care professionals is high in Hungary. However, there is limited empirical data on disease prevention among these populations. This study aims at evaluating the mediating role of coping mechanisms in preventing depression and burnout. Cross-sectional survey among 1333 health care professionals. Participants completed self-administered questionnaires about their perception of work stress, burnout and depressive symptoms, as well as their preferred coping strategies. Analyses were performed using structural equation modelling. The prevalence of severe depression and lack of personal accomplishment was 5.6% and nearly 50%, respectively. Work stress predicted symptoms of burnout and depression both directly and indirectly through the mediation by coping strategies. Of the coping strategies, cognitive restructuring, which accentuates the realistic assessment of challenging situations, was found to reduce the probability of the development of burnout and depression symptoms. This study provides further data for the development of cognitive interventional strategies and highlights the significance of these strategies in the prevention of depression and burnout among Hungarian health care professionals.