Lower Emotional Exhaustion Research Articles

Burnout among doctors and nurses at university of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, South-South Nigeria

Background: Burnout is an occupational hazard prevalent in people-oriented services and is characterized by emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and reduced sense of personal accomplishment (PA). Objective: The research was conducted to determine the occurrence of burnout and its associated factors among doctors and nurses at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, South-South Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study design was used on a sample of 320 doctors and nurses at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital that were selected using a multistage sampling technique. A self-administered questionnaire containing the Maslach Burnout Inventory Survey among others was used to collect data. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22 and statistical significance was set at 0.05. Results: Of 320 respondents, 76 (23.8%), 90 (28.1%), and 154 (48.1%) had high, moderate, and low EE, respectively. Furthermore, 47 (14.7%), 67 (20.9%), and 206 (64.4%) had high, moderate, and low DP, respectively while 96 (30%), 77 (24.1%), and 147 (45.9%) had low, moderate, and high PA, respectively. The prevalence of burnout syndrome was 4.7%. Significant factors associated with burnout included monthly earning (P = 0.020), professional grouping (P = 0.008) and days off work (P = 0.037). Specifically, doctors had higher levels of EE in comparison to the nurses (P = 0.005). Furthermore, those that were not satisfied with their jobs had high EE and high DP compared to those that had job satisfaction (P

Caring efficacy: nurses' perceptions and relationships with work-related factors.

Background and aim of the work: Caring nursing practice is central aspect of quality of services. It is important to assess nurses’ caring experience in terms of perceived caring efficacy to make them aware of their outcomes and improve their strategies. The aims of the study was to analyze: (1) the caring efficacy level, (2) differences between the caring efficacy levels concerning positive and negative work attitudes, (3) individual and organizational predictors of perceived caring efficacy. Methods: 200 nurses were recruited from a University Hospital in Southern Italy. A self-reported questionnaire was administered. T-test was performed to analyze differences between caring efficacy levels concerning outcomes variables. Regression analysis was carried out to examine how some work factors were related to perceived caring efficacy. Results: Participants referred high confidence to care (CC) for 55%, and low doubts and concerns (DC) for 72.9%. Nurses who had low DC had lower emotional exhaustion than nurses with moderate DC. Nurses with low DC had higher job satisfaction than nurses with high DC. Regarding CC levels, there were no differences between mean values for both attitudes at work. The emotional dissonance significantly predicted DC and CC. The supervisor support had a negative link with emotional dissonance, which in turn was negatively related to CC. Conclusions: Education and training should be addressed to reduce doubts and concerns to care and improve the ability to manage emotions. A work environment that value caring and give support in managing emotions can reduce emotional dissonance and improve caring self-efficacy. (www.actabiomedica.it)

Burn Out among the Pediatric Surgeons Of Pakistan.

This study was to assess the prevalence of Burnout syndrome among physicians, medical students and other healthcare professionals as they are considered more prone to it. It has been reported to be as high as >85% among surgeons, due to the sensitive and exhaustive nature of their job. The objective was to determine the prevalence of burnout among Paediatric surgeons (PS) of Pakistan. For this cross-sectional study, all PS working in Pakistan were included. In order to assess burnout, Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used. Burnout was found among 15% of the PS. In this group, it was also found that 17.5% of PS had high Emotional Exhaustion (EE), 12.5% had high Depersonalisation (DEP) and 30% had low Personal and Professional Achievement (PPA). Also 35% of PS were experiencing burnout in at least one domain. The significant protective factors we found in this group was having a non-doctor spouse for low EE (P=0.014), FCPS fellowship degree for low DEP (P=0.011), more than 2 post-graduation degrees for high PPA (P=0.008) and private practice for high PPA (P=0.020). We concluded that a large number of PS are facing burnout, and at the same time, a large proportion of them are at risk of moderate levels burnout from EE, DEP and PPA.

Cross-Sectional Study of Burnout among a Group of Egyptian Oncologists at Ain Shams University

Background: Oncologists are at risk of developing burn out syndrome due to many stressors they may face. Aim: To determine the level of burnout in a cohort of clinical oncologists working in an Egyptian university hospital. Methods: Fifty-two clinical oncologists were invited to participate in the study. Burnout was assessed using the Arabic version of Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS).Results: The response rate was 90% (47/52). The majority (70%) of responders were young oncologists and 62% had >10 years experience in the oncology field. Females represented 52% of them and 62% were married. The MBI-HSS scores indicated that 72% of participants had burnout on the emotional exhaustion (EE) scale, 49% on the depersonalization (DP) scale and 38% on the personal accomplishment (PA) scale. A significantly lower PA score was associated with female gender, being single, viewing vacation time as insufficient, and an experience duration <10 years in oncology (p = 0.01, 0.01, 0.03, and 0.02; respectively). The preference not to choose again oncology as a career was also associated with significantly lower PA score and higher EE score (p=0.02 and 0.001; respectively). Conclusion: The surveyed oncologists experienced high burnout. Larger studies are needed in order to assess the burden of the problem and to develop evidence-based interventions to reduce it.

Comparing the Maslach Burnout Inventory to Other Well-Being Instruments in Emergency Medicine Residents.

The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) is considered the "gold standard" for measuring burnout, encompassing 3 scales: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Other well-being instruments have shown utility in various settings, and correlations between MBI and these instruments could provide evidence of relationships among key variables to guide well-being efforts. We explored correlations between the MBI and other well-being instruments. We fielded a multicenter survey of 9 emergency medicine (EM) residencies, administering the MBI and 4 published well-being instruments: a quality-of-life assessment, a work-life balance rating, an appraisal of career satisfaction, and the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders Patient Health Questionnaire 2 question screen. Consistent with the Maslach definition, burnout was defined by high emotional exhaustion (> 26) and high depersonalization (> 12). Of 334 residents, 261 (78%) responded. Residents who reported lower quality of life had higher emotional exhaustion (ρ = -0.437, P < .0001), higher depersonalization (ρ = -0.18, P < .005), and lower personal accomplishment (ρ = 0.347, P < .001). Residents who reported a negative work-life balance had emotional exhaustion (P < .001) and depersonalization (P < .009). Positive career satisfaction was associated with lower emotional exhaustion (P < .0001), lower depersonalization (P < .005), and higher personal accomplishment (P < .05). A positive depression screen was associated with higher emotional exhaustion, higher depersonalization, and lower personal achievement (all P < .0001). Our multicenter study of EM residents demonstrated that assessments using the MBI correlate with other well-being instruments.

THE PREVALENCE AND ASSOCIATES OF STRESS AND BURNOUT IN STAFF CARING FOR PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA IN LONG-TERM CARE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

High vacancy and high turnover rates amongst care staff in care homes are associated with poorer quality of care and may be related to stress and burnout. We conducted a systematic review and the first meta-analysis to determine the level of stress and burnout and report its associated factors in staff caring for people living with dementia in 24-hour care settings. We electronically searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Web of Science databases from 2009 up to August 2017. Two raters independently graded the validity of studies using standardised criteria. We conducted a meta-analysis using a random effects model to determine the weighted mean burnout scores across comparable studies. We identified 2417 studies of which 17 met our inclusion criteria. Nine studies reported mean burnout scores in care staff working in either nursing or residential care home facilities in eight different countries. Meta-analysis of the four studies of 598 care staff that used the complete 22-item Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) found low mean emotional exhaustion levels; mean 15.0 (95% CI 14.5-15.5), moderate depersonalisation; mean 8.3 (95% CI 7.9-8.7) and low personal accomplishment; mean 22.0 (95% CI 21.6-22.4). Care worker factors reported to be associated with higher burnout and stress included: younger age, higher qualifications, not speaking English as a first language, feeling unsupported and rating leadership within the home as poor; there was also an association with caring for residents who exhibited aggressive behaviour. Current evidence suggests that most long-term care staff for people living with dementia do not experience high levels of burnout, but there is a lack of good quality longitudinal evidence with analysis of non-respondents. Further large prospective studies of burnout and stress levels in care staff are required to understand more about potentially modifiable institutional and staff risk factors for burnout and their correlation with staff turnover.

Burnout rate and related factors among midwives who work in sanandaj

Background & Aim: Job burnout is defined as the response to the chronic psychological distress caused by oners occupation, leading to poor efficiency and loss of human resources. The present study aimed to evaluate the rate of job burnout and its influential factors in the midwives employed at the hospitals and health centers in Sanandaj, Iran in 2016. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 200 midwives employed at the hospitals and health centers in Sanandaj city. The subjects were selected via simple random sampling using a random number table. Data were collected using Maslach burnout inventory. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 18 using descriptive and inferential statistics at the significance level of 0.05. Results: In terms of job burnout dimensions, low cynicism was observed in 62 subjects (31), moderate cynicism was observed in 72 subjects (36), and severe cynicism was observed in 66 subjects (33). Low emotional exhaustion was detected in 70 subjects (35), moderate emotional exhaustion was observed in 74 subjects (37), and severe exhaustion was reported in 56 subjects (28). With regard to personal efficiency, high self-effectiveness was denoted in 71 subjects (35.5), while the level was moderate and low in 78 (39) and 51 subjects (25.5). Conclusion: According to the results, the rate of job burnout was moderate among the studied midwives. Given the importance of midwifery in health care, preventive programs are recommended in order to promote the quality of care services and satisfaction of healthcare professionals, as well as reducing the rate of job burnout.

Impaired sleep predicts onset of low back pain and burnout symptoms: evidence from a three-wave study

ABSTRACTIn a three-wave questionnaire study of 405 working participants, who were initially free of low back pain (LBP) and emotional exhaustion, sleep problems were evaluated as a potential risk factor for the development of LBP and burnout up to three years later. Prospective risk paths were compared between the sexes and between two age-groups (18 to 45 years and older than 45 years). A longitudinal structural equation model showed a good fit with empirical data (RMSEA = .04, SRMR = .06, CFI = .97). Prospective risk paths between the latent constructs showed sleep problems to significantly predict self-reported LBP (β = .15, p = .011) and burnout (β = .24, p < .001) two years later. Sleep problems also predicted the occurrence of burnout three years later (β = .18, p = .002). Sleep-related risk of burnout after two years was greater in older than younger participants (βolder = .42 vs. βyounger = .13, p < .001).Sleep problems seem to precede LBP and burnout in working individuals. Health promotion initiatives should use sleep quality as an important early risk indicator, and interventions should focus on promoting better quality sleep, in an attempt to reduce the incidence of LBP and burnout.

Burnout in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery: A Single Academic Center Experience.

Burnout in modern medicine is becoming more recognized and researched. The objective in this study is to evaluate burnout in a tertiary care academic institution and compare results among faculty, trainees, and advanced practice practitioners (APPs) in a cross-sectional survey using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Fifty-two surveys were distributed; 44 participants completed the survey (85%): 25 staff physicians (57%), 14 resident physicians (32%), and 5 nurse practitioners (11%). Staff physicians had low emotional exhaustion, moderate depersonalization, and low result for reduced personal accomplishments; trainees reported low emotional exhaustion, high depersonalization, and moderate reduced personal accomplishment; and nurse practitioners reported moderate on all 3 dimensions. There is overall low burnout in this tertiary care academic center of otolaryngologist providers and no difference in rates among the different groups (trainees, APPs, staff). Measures addressing specific deficiencies among dimensions of burnout would be helpful to prevent disintegration of physician satisfaction into burnout.

Relations Between Psychosocial Job Characteristics and Work Ability in Employees with Chronic Headaches

Purpose The aim of the study was to determine (a) to which extent job demands and job resources predict work ability in employees with chronic headaches, and (b) whether work ability in these employees is more hampered by high demands and more enhanced by resources than in employees without chronic disease. Methods All employees with chronic headaches (n = 593) and without chronic disease (n = 13,742) were selected from The Netherlands Working Conditions Survey conducted in 2013. This survey assessed amongst others job characteristics and various indicators of work ability, i.e. sick leave, employability, work engagement, and emotional exhaustion. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted for employees with chronic headaches and compared to employees without chronic disease, controlling for age, gender and educational level. Results In employees with chronic headaches higher quantitative and emotional demands contributed to higher emotional exhaustion, and higher emotional demands to higher sick leave. Higher cognitive demands were however associated with higher work engagement. Higher autonomy was related to higher employability and lower emotional exhaustion. Higher supervisor and colleague support was associated with higher employability, higher engagement and lower emotional exhaustion. Higher supervisor support was associated with lower sick leave. Supervisor support emerged as a stronger predictor for emotional exhaustion in the employees with chronic headaches than in the employees without chronic disease. Conclusions Job demands and job resources are important for work ability in employees with chronic headaches. Furthermore, results suggest that these employees benefit more strongly from supervisor support than employees without chronic disease.

Empathy and burnout: a study on residents from a Singapore institution.

Empathy and burnout are two entities that are important in a physician's career. They are likely to relate to each other and can be heavily influenced by surrounding factors, such as medical education, local practices and cultural expectations. To our knowledge, empathy and burnout studies have not been performed in Singapore. This study was designed to evaluate empathy and burnout levels using the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE) and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) among residents in Singapore, and compare them with the United States (US) literature. The JSPE, MBI and a self-designed questionnaire were completed by 446 trainees at a residency-sponsoring institution in Singapore. Residents in Singapore had lower empathy and higher rates of burnout compared to US literature. Physician empathy was associated with burnout: residents with higher empathy scores had higher personal accomplishment (p < 0.001, r = 0.477, r2 = 0.200); and lower emotional exhaustion (p < 0.001, r = 0.187, r2 = 0.035) and depersonalisation (p < 0.001, r = 0.321, r2 = 0.103) scores. Residents in Singapore had lower empathy and higher burnout scores compared to the US literature. Further research into the underlying cause is imperative to guide intervention.

Higher Perceived Clinic Capacity to Address Patients' Social Needs Associated with Lower Burnout in Primary Care Providers.

Primary care physicians (PCP) experience high rates of professional burnout. These symptoms may be magnified in underserved populations. This study explores relationships between clinic capacity to address patients' social needs (SN) and PCP burnout. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of PCPs from three delivery systems in San Francisco. Surveys included three components of burnout, measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and a four-item instrument exploring attitudes, confidence, individual skills and organizational capacity to address patients' SN. Provider perception of higher clinic capacity to address patients' SN was the strongest independent predictor of lower burnout. Providers who perceived high clinic capacity and resources to address SN reported significantly greater professional efficacy (p &lt;.01), lower emotional exhaustion (p &lt;.05), and lower cynicism (p &lt;.05). Provider perceptions of greater clinic capacity to address SN are significantly associated with lower burnout. Devoting organizational resources to address SN may reduce PCP burnout.

Levels of burnout and their associated factors among physicians working in Northeast Anatolia.

The concept of burnout is a condition seen in occupational groups working face-to-face with people and resulting in emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low professional productivity. The purpose of this study was to determine burnout levels and associated factors in physicians practicing in Erzurum, Northeast Anatolia, Turkey. This research was designed as a cross-sectional descriptive study. The research sample size was calculated at 663 participants with a 99% confidence interval and a 3% margin of error using Epi Info software. A 10% incomplete or nonresponse rate was added, for a target cohort of 730 individuals. Seven hundred and eleven physicians agreeing to take part were enrolled. A questionnaire consisting of questions concerning sociodemographic characteristics and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used as the data collection tool. The questionnaires were distributed by the authors and completed by the physicians in person. Descriptive data were expressed as percentage, mean, median, and standard deviation. Data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests and binary logistic regression analysis. P < 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. Statistical analyses were performed on SPSS 15.00 software. The mean age of the physicians in the study was 34.4 ± 7.7 years. Mean MBI subdimension scores were 15.6 ± 7.0 for emotional exhaustion, 5.7 ± 3.9 for depersonalization, and 21.0 ± 4.4 for personal accomplishment. Mean emotional exhaustion and depersonalization scores were significantly higher and personal accomplishment scores significantly lower in physicians aged under 25, not taking vacations, working in public hospitals, who were working as research assistants. Burnout levels among the participants were low (emotional exhaustion in 75%, depersonalization in 76.2%, and low personal accomplishment in 69.6%).

Burnout Among Iowa Hospice Workers: A Test of the Job Demands-Resources Model

ABSTRACTBurnout is a critical problem for hospice care system, particularly given the potential increase in hospice utilization because of the increasing older adult population. Hospice care requires social workers and other professionals to work in interdisciplinary settings under conditions of prolonged stress. Guided by the Job Demands-Resources (JDR) model, this study sought to: (1) understand Iowa hospice workers’ level of burnout, indicated by emotional exhaustion (EE); (2) identify organizational and personal determinants of EE. This web-based study used a cross-sectional survey administered to hospice staff across Iowa. Seventeen hospice organizations participated as study sites, and 244 out of 825 employees, consisting of interdisciplinary clinical workers and administrative personnel, completed the survey. Descriptive, correlational, and regression statistics were used to test study hypotheses. Regarding EE levels, 59% of participants were experiencing low EE, while the other 41% had moderate or high EE. Those lacking empathy, working full-time, and working for larger hospice organizations had greater EE. While findings largely support the JDR model, interactions between demands and resources offer only partial support. Results indicate the importance of hospices fostering supportive work environments and providing employee education about emotional benefits of respect, strategies for displaying workplace respect, and evaluation of respect-related initiatives.

Burnout is associated with changes in error and feedback processing

Burnout is a pattern of complaints in individuals with emotionally demanding jobs that is often seen as a precursor of depression. One often reported symptom of burnout is cognitive decline. To analyze cognitive control and to differentiate between subclinical burnout and mild to moderate depression a double-blinded study was conducted that investigates changes in the processing of performance errors and feedback in a task switching paradigm. Fifty-one of 76 employees from emotionally demanding jobs showed a sufficient number of errors to be included in the analysis. The sample was subdivided into groups with low (EE-) and high (EE+) emotional exhaustion and no (DE-) and mild to moderate depression (DE+). The behavioral data did not significantly differ between the groups. In contrast, in the EE+ group, the error negativity (Ne/ERN) was enhanced while the error positivity (Pe) did not differ between the EE+ and EE- groups. After negative feedback the feedback-related negativity (FRN) was enhanced, while the subsequent positivity (FRP) was reduced in EE+ relative to EE-. None of these effects were observed in the DE+ vs. DE-. These results suggest an upregulation of error and negative feedback processing, while the later processing of negative feedback was attenuated in employees with subclinical burnout but not in mild to moderate depression.

Daily Use of Energy Management Strategies and Occupational Well-being: The Moderating Role of Job Demands.

We examine the relationships among employees’ use of energy management strategies and two occupational well-being outcomes: job satisfaction and emotional exhaustion. Based on conservation of resources theory, it was hypothesized that employees with high job demands would benefit more from using energy management strategies (i.e., including prosocial, organizing, and meaning-related strategies), compared to employees with low job demands. We tested this proposition using a quantitative diary study. Fifty-four employees provided data twice daily across one work week (on average, 7 daily entries). Supporting the hypotheses, prosocial energy management was positively related to job satisfaction. Moreover, employees with high job demands were less emotionally exhausted when using prosocial strategies. Contrary to predictions, when using organizing strategies, employees with low job demands had higher job satisfaction and lower emotional exhaustion. Under high job demands, greater use of organizing strategies was associated with lower job satisfaction and higher emotional exhaustion. Finally, use of meaning-related strategies was associated with higher emotional exhaustion when job demands were low. With this research, we position energy management as part of a resource investment process aimed at maintaining and improving occupational well-being. Our findings show that this resource investment will be more or less effective depending on the type of strategy used and the existing drain on resources (i.e., job demands). This is the first study to examine momentary effects of distinct types of work-related energy management strategies on occupational well-being.

Análisis factorial y correspondencias múltiples de principales indicadores de burnout en anestesiólogos

IntroductionAnesthesiologists develop work-related illnesses for many reasons which include, demanding circumstances, pressure to perform in high pressure situations, risks and responsibilities, and management of procedures; while in the presence of pain, suffering and even death. They work under demanding conditions with little alleviation and with considerable fluctuations in the quality of medical services and facilities. ObjectiveCreate a statistical descriptive epidemiological response study of Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) carried out by anesthesiologists through the use of multiple variable factorial analysis. Results will be graphed using multiple mapping analysis and classification with factorial coordinates. Materials and methodsAn anonymous and voluntary analysis study of 209 anesthesiologists coming from a variety of working conditions and socioeconomic backgrounds, was conducted on three different dimensions: emotional exhaustion (EE), despersonalization (DP) and personal fulfillment (PF). The first stage was undertaken with a multiple variable factorial analysis that included the principle components of the questionnaire, followed by a multivariable analysis by way of the SPAD4.51, CISIACERESTA program. ResultsBurnout was verified in 32.5%, with low EE: 35.4%, medium: 33.0%, high: 31.6%, low DP: 29.2%, medium: 23.9% High: 46.9%, low PF: 14.4%, medium: 34.0%, high: 51.7%, the first stage showed no correlation with sociodemographic variables, personal quantitative and categorical, then multivariate analysis showed significant difference without burnout in respondents with recreational activity >30 hours per week p=0.004. DiscussionCorrelation between EE, DP, PF and social demographic variables was not confirmed but a significant difference was found when considering the number of weekly hours spent in recreational activity and the presence of bournout. ConclusionThe multiple correspondence technique indicates that time spent on recreational activity correlates with lower burnout and could reveal that performing recreational activities in anesthesiologists would be protective mechanism.

Psychosocial safety climate, emotional exhaustion, and work injuries in healthcare workplaces.

Preventing work injuries requires a clear understanding of how they occur, how they are recorded, and the accuracy of injury surveillance. Our innovation was to examine how psychosocial safety climate (PSC) influences the development of reported and unreported physical and psychological workplace injuries beyond (physical) safety climate, via the erosion of psychological health (emotional exhaustion). Self-report data (T2, 2013) from 214 hospital employees (18 teams) were linked at the team level to the hospital workplace injury register (T1, 2012; T2, 2013; and T3, 2014). Concordance between survey-reported and registered injury rates was low (36%), indicating that many injuries go unreported. Safety climate was the strongest predictor of T2 registered injury rates (controlling for T1); PSC and emotional exhaustion also played a role. Emotional exhaustion was the strongest predictor of survey-reported total injuries and underreporting. Multilevel analysis showed that low PSC, emanating from senior managers and transmitted through teams, was the origin of psychological health erosion (i.e., low emotional exhaustion), which culminated in greater self-reported work injuries and injury underreporting (both physical and psychological). These results underscore the need to consider, in theory and practice, a dual physical-psychosocial safety explanation of injury events and a psychosocial explanation of injury underreporting.

Evaluation of the prevalence of burnout and psychological morbidity among radiation oncologist members of the Kyoto Radiation Oncology Study Group (KROSG).

This study aimed to evaluate the self-reported prevalence of burnout and psychological morbidity among radiation oncologists members of the Kyoto Radiation Oncology Study Group (KROSG) and to identify factors contributing to burnout. We mailed an anonymous survey to 125 radiation oncologists members of the KROSG. The survey included; the demographic data, the Maslach Burnout Inventory – Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). There were 87 responses out of 125 eligible respondents (69.6% response rate). In terms of burnout, three participants (3.4%) fulfilled the MBI-HSS criteria of having simultaneously high emotional exhaustion (EE), high depersonalization (DP) and low sense of personal accomplishment (PA). Eighteen (20.6%) reported a high score for either EE or DP meeting the alternative criteria for burnout with three of these simultaneously having high EE and high DP. The prevalence of psychological morbidity estimated using GHQ-12 was 32%. A high level of EE and low level of PA significantly correlated with high level of psychological morbidity with P < 0.001 and <0.01 respectively. Having palliative care activities other than radiotherapy and number of patients treated per year were the only factors associated with burnout. This is the first study investigating the prevalence of burnout and psychological morbidity among radiation oncologists in Japan. Compared with other studies involving radiation oncologists, the prevalence of low personal accomplishment was particularly high in the present study. The prevalence of psychological morbidity was almost the double that of the Japanese general population and was significantly associated with low PA and high EE.

Engagement of secondary school teachers in Namibia: Relational context effects

The aim of this study was to investigate relational antecedents of work engagement for secondary school teachers and to determine whether specific psychological conditions mediate the effects of relational factors on work engagement. A cross-sectional survey was used. The participants were 502 secondary school teachers in Namibia (females = 64.7%, Afrikaans-speaking = 49%). They completed the following measuring instruments: Co-worker and Supervisor Relationships Scales, Emotional Exhaustion Scale, Perceived Organizational Support Scale, Psychological Conditions Scale and the Work Engagement Scale. Data were analysed using Mplus 7.3. The results showed that low emotional exhaustion and high psychological meaningfulness and availability explained work engagement. Relational factors (i.e. co-worker relations, supervisor relations, and emotional exhaustion) influenced psychological meaningfulness and safety strongly, and psychological availability moderately. Supervisor relationships and emotional exhaustion indirectly influenced work engagement via psychological meaningfulness. Co-worker relationships and emotional exhaustion indirectly affected work engagement via psychological availability. The results provide support for a relational model of work engagement.