Abstract
Previous studies have established a correlation between empathy and burnout among healthcare providers. The aim of this study is to explore whether empathy – the ability to understand what another person is experiencing, was related to mental healthcare staffs’ burnout.We performed a descriptive, cross-sectional, observational study among medical and nursing mental healthcare staff working in the district of Moselle, France. Participants completed a survey including The French versions of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSPE) and The Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS).The sample included 241 (n=241) participants (N=420, response rate=51.7%). 187 (77.6%) respondents had low burnout, 43 (17.8%) had intermediate burnout and 11 (4.6%) had high burnout. 41 (17%) had low empathy, 156 (64.7) had moderate empathy and 44 (18.3%) scored high.Empathy scores were positively correlated with scores of personal accomplishment of the MBI-HSS (r=0.2; p<0.001), but negatively correlated with scores of depersonalization (r=-0.2; p<0.003). Highest means of depersonalization (DP) (M=8.7; SD=6.8; p<0.009) and lowest means of compassionate care (M=40.05; SD=7.9; p=0.0001) were found among forensic psychiatric security units staff.Participation in the Omega educational program was associated with lower scores of EE on the MBI-HSS survey (mean score 14.7 versus a mean score of 19.7 for nonparticipants).Empathic mental healthcare providers have lower levels of burnout. Forensic psychiatric staff showed low means of compassionate care and high depersonalization.Interventions designed to foster attributes and skills such as empathy, resilience, and perception of security may be an essential step in reducing and preventing burnout.
Highlights
The dynamics of recent healthcare reforms and the pervasive economic aspects changed conceptions of mental health professionals
We have found that 42 subjects (17.4%) scored high on emotional exhaustion (EE), 44 (18.3%) scored high on the DP subscale, and 105 (43.6%) had low scores of PA
While a fifth of the participants had high empathy according to the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE), just 4.6 % had high burnout scores on the MBI
Summary
The dynamics of recent healthcare reforms and the pervasive economic aspects changed conceptions of mental health professionals. In addition to organizational stressors common to all human services workers, they face additional emotional strains due to the stigma and misunderstanding of mental illness. The shortage of mental healthcare resources is problematic, with an average rate of vacant jobs of 28.7% for psychiatrists, which means a reduction in the time doctors can allocate to every patient [2]. Difficulties in adapting to novel demand cause psychological distress which may be responsible for burnout and absenteeism, low organizational commitment and poor job performance [3,4,5]. Further research has shown that burnout is likely to have a contagion effect, progressively damaging the morale of employees and leading to further staff turnover [6]
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