Abstract
BackgroundBurnout is a work-related physical and/or emotional exhaustion among individuals working in the human service sector. This descriptive cross-sectional study aimed to estimate the prevalence of burnout among interns training in different hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and its relation to engaging in unethical behaviors.ResultsThe study found a high burnout level in 135 (50%) of the interns with minimal overall engagement in unethical behaviors (5.9%). However, patient-related burnout was the only factor found with a highly significant association to engagement in unethical behaviors (P-value < 0.001).ConclusionsThis study demonstrated a high prevalence of burnout among interns with a significant association between patient-related burnout and the engagement in unethical behaviors. That was a worrying sign that needs further evaluation in future research, including the other risk factors, to prevent/improve burnout and to limit the unprofessional behaviors.
Highlights
Burnout is a work-related physical and/or emotional exhaustion among individuals working in the human service sector
Total burnout Score was found to be high in 50% of the population, mostly in the form of personal (74.1%) and work-related (63.7%) burnout, while the patient-related burnout score was low for 182 interns (67.4%)
We found that 50% of the participants had a high total burnout score, which is almost similar to the result of another study that was carried out in Brazil showing a total burnout prevalence of 57.5% among the interns [7], and another study that estimated the prevalence of total burnout among Australian interns to be 55.9% [10]
Summary
Burnout is a work-related physical and/or emotional exhaustion among individuals working in the human service sector. This descriptive cross-sectional study aimed to estimate the prevalence of burnout among interns training in different hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and its relation to engaging in unethical behaviors. Burnout is a work-related, psychological condition defined as a physical and/or emotional exhaustion and fatigue among individuals working in the human service sector [1]. Burnout can be associated with any job and stress In medical practice, it refers to the feeling of being overextended, “drained-out,” and “used-up” [2] and is usually a result of prolonged stress or frustration that eventually leads to cynicism, depersonalization, and reduction in personal accomplishments as well as effectiveness [1]. Previous studies done in different parts of the world (Brazil, India, the USA, Australia, Mexico, and Pennsylvania) showed a different prevalence of burnout among interns ranging from 18.9 to 57.5% [7,8,9,10,11,12], with a significantly increased level of burnout among interns at the end of the internship year compared to the start of it (P < 0.0001) [9,10,11,12]
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