Abstract
Background and objective: The WHO has included burnout as an occupational phenomenon in the ICD-11. According to the WHO, burnout is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. The study aimed to evaluate the influence of feelings of guilt and burnout on health in Polish anesthesiologists. Alcohol and tobacco intake, psychosomatic disorders, and depression were assessed. Methods: The study had a non–randomized cross-sectional character. The sample consisted of 372 Polish anesthesiologists. Burnout was measured by the Spanish burnout inventory. Results: Post hoc analysis for burnout consequences: depression (F(5,366) = 17.51, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.193), psychosomatic disorders (F(5,366) = 13.11, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.152), and tobacco intake (F(5,366) = 6.23, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.078), showed significant differences between burnout with and without the highest levels of feelings of guilt. All the instruments applied were reliable. Conclusions: Depression, psychosomatic disorders, and alcohol and tobacco intake are suspected to be consequences of the highest guilt levels related to burnout, i.e., Profile 2 according to the burnout model of Gil-Monte. Participation in prevention programs is recommended for these cases.
Highlights
Chronic stress may lead to many negative consequences, such a burnout
For the variable alcohol intake associated with occupational problems, the results showed significant differences between the participants included in the medium levels of the burnout group (M = 0.92) and participants in Profile 2 (M = 1.68; p = 0.023), and between the participants included in the low levels of the burnout group (M = 0.70) and participants in Profile 2 (p = 0.005)
It is true that in 2020 the situation at the health level has changed substantially because of the pandemic caused by COVID-19, we considered that precisely knowing how guilt is related to burnout, depression, and health of health professionals can be of crucial importance in order to care for these professionals at the time they need it most, because we believe that the pandemic will have greatly increased the stressors they face in their daily work [73,74,75]
Summary
Chronic stress may lead to many negative consequences, such a burnout. Studies show that psychological distress is significantly associated with burnout [1]. Results: Post hoc analysis for burnout consequences: depression (F(5,366) = 17.51, p < 0.001, ηp 2 = 0.193), psychosomatic disorders (F(5,366) == 13.11, p < 0.001, ηp 2 = 0.152), and tobacco intake (F(5,366) = 6.23, p < 0.001, ηp 2 = 0.078), showed significant differences between burnout with and without the highest levels of feelings of guilt. Conclusions: Depression, psychosomatic disorders, and alcohol and tobacco intake are suspected to be consequences of the highest guilt levels related to burnout, i.e., Profile 2 according to the burnout model of Gil-Monte. In Poland, Anesthesiology includes intensive care and the severe state of their patients and frequently lack of follow up; intubation; assessing brain death; informing the families of the patients; necessity to take fast decisions; work under pressure; high workload and shortage of personnel; low salary and a necessity to work in various hospitals simultaneously; long working hours; exhaustion; lack of time for friends and family; lack of proper teamwork with other physicians, especially surgeons; and a lack of social prestige as compared to other specialties, were among the stress factors indicated by the anesthesiologists in the survey [12]
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