Prevalence and Difference of Factors Affecting Burnout Amongst Health Care Workers in Bahrain: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: The incidence of burnout amongst Health Care Workers (HCW) has become an important issue in recent years. This is mostly due to the potential harm and negative consequences it imposes, not only on the medical staff but also on the patient’s quality of care. The aim of this study was to find the prevalence of burnout amongst HCWs and to determine its associated factors. Methods and materials: An online survey was sent out electronically in October 2021, to a large number of physicians and nurses practicing in both governmental as well as private hospitals. It included a total of 19 questions measuring overall physical and psychological fatigue and was filled anonymously. Burnout was considered a dependent variable, and data analysis was done using SPSS Ver. 24. Results: The study shows that 165 (58.7%) participants worked in a High-Risk Environment (HRE), while only 38 (13.5%) participants replied that they seldom or never experience burnout. Burnout was experienced by 243 (86.5%) participants on a regular basis, either sometimes (39.5%), often (24.9%), or always (22.1%). Relative to two years ago, 217 (77.2%, p-value <0.001) respondents reported to have experienced more burnout 52 (18.5%) of them reporting that the symptoms have increased significantly over time. Conclusion: It is clear that burnout levels amongst HCW in Bahrain are high with evidence suggesting that they are slightly increasing over time. Keywords: Burnout, Health Care Workers, Bahrain, Stress