[Study of "burnout" syndrome in Spanish pediatric surgeons].

BACKGROUND

The "burnout syndrome" is characterized by emotional exhaustion, despersonalization and decrease of the feeling of personal accomplishment, above all, in the field of professional achievement. It appears to be frequent in the helping professions and the human services workers, and in its origin labour factors seem to intervent.

HYPOTHESIS

The "burnout syndrome" can be affecting to the collective of spanish pediatric surgeons since the profession presents risk factors.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of "burnout" and level of work satisfaction among spanish pediatric surgeons, and related factors. METHODS.

DESIGN

[corrected] Crossover descriptive study.

SUBJECTS

Random sample of members of the Spanish Society of Pediatric Surgery.

MEASUREMENTS

A survey for self-administration with social and demographic variables, a spanish version of the Maslach Bournout Inventory (MBI), and the Font Roja questionnaire was used. The MBI consists of 22 items and the Font Roja of 24. Respectively, they explore the components of the syndrome and the factors of satisfaction with the work. It is considered "burnout" when it is scoring high in emotional exhaustion and despersonalization and low in personal achievement.

RESULTS

85 people responded (response rate: 45.5%. Male: 81.2%. Mean age: 49.8 years. Burnout scores were in the average range (43.88 +/- 5.59). The emotional exhaustion subscale of the MBI averaged 19.16 +/- 5.35, with 75.3% in the moderate range. The despersonalization score averaged 11.79 +/- 3.68, with 45.9% of respondents scoring in the high range. The personal achievement subscore averaged 12.93 +/- 3.68, with 82.4% scoring in the low range. The overall mean satisfaction: 70.46 +/- 11.23. The factors that promote a greater satisfaction level are: intrinsic occupational satisfaction, social relationship in the work and appropriateness for the task.

CONCLUSIONS

It exists a moderate level of "burnout syndrome" with a middle level of work satisfaction. Though contradictory this circumstance is possible, since it is considered professional satisfied with their profession (vocational election) that at the same time lives some difficult work conditions that generate a situation of high exhaustion professional.