Abstract
BackgroundBurnout is characterized by physical and emotional exhaustion from long-term exposure to emotionally demanding work. Burnout affects interpersonal skills, job performance, career satisfaction, and psychological health. However, little is known about the burden of burnout among healthcare providers in sub-Saharan Africa.MethodsRelevant articles were identified through a systematic review of PubMed, Web of Science (Thomson Reuters), and PsycINFO (EBSCO). Studies were selected for inclusion if they examined a quantitative measure of burnout among healthcare providers in sub-Saharan Africa.ResultsA total of 65 articles met our inclusion criteria for this systematic review. Previous studies have examined burnout in sub-Saharan Africa among physicians (N = 12 articles), nurses (N = 26), combined populations of healthcare providers (N = 18), midwives (N = 2), and medical or nursing students (N = 7). The majority of studies assessed burnout using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The highest levels of burnout were reported among nurses, although all healthcare providers showed high burnout. Burnout among healthcare providers is associated with their work environments, interpersonal and professional conflicts, emotional distress, and low social support.ConclusionsAvailable studies on this topic are limited by several methodological challenges. More rigorously designed epidemiologic studies of burnout among healthcare providers are warranted. Health infrastructure improvements will eventually be essential, though difficult to achieve, in under-resourced settings. Programs aimed at raising awareness and coping with burnout symptoms through stress management and resilience enhancement trainings are also needed.
Highlights
Burnout is a psychological syndrome involving emotional exhaustion, feelings of helplessness, depersonalization, negative attitudes towards work and life, and reduced personal accomplishment [1]
Study selection and criteria for inclusion In PubMed, Web of Science (Thomson Reuters), and PsycINFO (EBSCO), we identified studies using search terms for burnout and sub-Saharan African countries (Additional file 1: Table S2)
Studies were selected for inclusion if (1) they examined a quantitative measure of burnout, (2) the study population was healthcare providers, and (3) the study was conducted in a sub-Saharan African country
Summary
Burnout is a psychological syndrome involving emotional exhaustion, feelings of helplessness, depersonalization, negative attitudes towards work and life, and reduced personal accomplishment [1]. The prevalence of burnout in high-income countries among the general working population has been reported to range between 13 and 27% [2, 3]. In addition to self-reported health outcomes, burnout is associated with hypothalamus-. Occupational burnout has been associated with a reduced ability to downregulate emotional stressors, altered functioning of the limbic networks [32], and changes in subcortical volume [33]. Burnout among healthcare providers has been associated with increased self-reported errors, reduction in time devoted to providing clinical care, and higher mortality rates [35, 36]. Burnout among healthcare providers has profound personal and professional consequences, impacting the quality of patient care and functionality of healthcare systems [37]. Little is known about the burden of burnout among healthcare providers in sub-Saharan Africa
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