Empathy as a predictor of burnout syndrome in health professionals of the Colombian Caribbean

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IntroductionEmpathy is an essential skill in the doctor-patient relationship since it contributes to improve aspects of health care and patient satisfaction. Nevertheless, burnout research projects have been developed in recent years.ObjectivesTo examine the predictive capacity that empathy has on burnout syndrome in health professionals.Methods A non-experimental, cross-sectional design was proposed. The type of study was correlational-descriptive since it was sought out to explore a functional relation through the prognosis of a criterion variable. Sample: 200 (100 female and 100 male).ResultsFirst, the variance of cognitive and Affective Empathy was dug out in the emotional exhaustation criterion scale. Results accounted for 15% of variability in emotional exhaustation. (Corrected R 2 = .15, F = 17,56, p = 0,00). The best predictor of emotional exhaustation refers to Cognitive Empathy. (B = -.27, p = 0.00). It does not seem that Affective Empathy acts as a predictor variable of Emotional Exhaustation. (Table 1). Table 1Multiple linear regression analysis considering Emotional Exhaustation as a criterion.TECACorrected R2FBpCognitive Empathy.1517,5-.27**0,00Affective Empathy-.14.13The predictive capacity of Empathy in relation to Depersonalization was estimated (Corrected R 2 = .20, F = 25,4, p = 0.00). Cognitive and affective empathy were included as predictor variables and MBI as a criterion variable (Table 2). On one hand, the best predictor of Depersonalization is the Cognitive Empathy. On the other hand, regarding Affective Empathy, it does not act as a predictor of Depersonalization. Table 2Multiple linear regression analysis considering Depersonalization as a criterion.TECACorrected R2FBpCognitive Empathy.2025,4-.32**0,00Affective Empathy-.15.84Lastly, the predictive capacity of Empathy in relation to Personal Achievement was figured out. (Corrected R 2 = .19, F = 23,4, p = 0.00). Cognitive Empathy is the best predictor for Personal Fulfillment (Table 3). Table 3Multiple linear regression analysis considering Personal Fullfilment as a criterion.TECACorrected R2FβpCognitive Empathy.2025,4 .43**0,00Affective Empathy.00.96ConclusionsIt was noticed that through a linear multiple regression analysis, the variable that best explains Emotional Exhaustation is Cognitive Empathy. Those results are replicated for Depersonalization and Personal Fullfilment.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared