Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy.
J Clin Nurs. 2018 Jul;27(13-14):2691-2698. doi: 10.1111/jocn.14376. Epub 2018 Jun 1.
Healthcare professionals working in emergency departments commonly experience high work pressure and stress due to witnessing human suffering and the unpredictable nature of the work. Several studies have identified variables that affect burnout syndrome, but poor data are available about the predictors of the different dimensions of burnout (depersonalisation, emotional exhaustion, professional inefficacy and disillusionment). Some research has suggested that alexithymia, coping style and decision-making style may predict burnout.
We conducted a noninterventional study to investigate whether and how alexithymia, coping style and decision-making style are associated with the different dimensions of burnout.
We recruited a convenience sample of 93 healthcare professionals working in an Italian emergency departments. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing their level of burnout (the Link Burnout Questionnaire), and possible burnout predictors: decision-making style, alexithymia and the coping style. Four bivariate linear regressions were performed to define the predictors that characterised the dimensions of burnout.
We found that an avoidant decision-making style and a difficulty to identify and describe feelings (a difficulty close to alexithymia even though not as severe) are strong predictors of some burnout dimensions. Individuals who experience relational depersonalisation are more likely to turn to religion as a way to cope.
Our research shows that, to some extent, difficulties in emotion regulation and the attitude to avoid or postpone decisions characterised burnout.
These results might be used to develop tailored psycho-educational interventions. This might help healthcare professionals to develop personal skills to cope with the critical conditions that characterise their work and to enable them to recognise potential risk factors that favour burnout. This has pivotal implications for the maintenance of the patient-healthcare professional relationship and in reducing clinical errors.
由于目睹人类的痛苦和工作的不可预测性，在急诊科工作的医疗保健专业人员经常面临高工作压力和紧张。有几项研究已经确定了影响倦怠综合征的变量，但关于倦怠不同维度（去人性化、情绪耗竭、职业效能感降低和幻灭感）的预测因素的数据很差。一些研究表明，述情障碍、应对方式和决策风格可能预测倦怠。
我们进行了一项非干预性研究，以调查述情障碍、应对方式和决策风格是否以及如何与倦怠的不同维度相关。
我们招募了一个方便的样本，由 93 名在意大利急诊科工作的医疗保健专业人员组成。参与者完成了一份问卷，评估他们的倦怠水平（链接倦怠问卷），以及可能的倦怠预测因素：决策风格、述情障碍和应对方式。进行了四次双变量线性回归，以确定特征倦怠维度的预测因素。
我们发现，回避决策风格和难以识别和描述感受（一种接近述情障碍的困难，尽管不如述情障碍严重）是一些倦怠维度的强有力预测因素。经历关系去人性化的个体更有可能转向宗教作为应对方式。
我们的研究表明，在某种程度上，情绪调节困难和回避或推迟决策的态度是倦怠的特征。
这些结果可用于制定针对性的心理教育干预措施。这可能有助于医疗保健专业人员发展个人技能，以应对其工作特点的危急情况，并使他们能够识别有利于倦怠的潜在风险因素。这对维护医患关系和减少临床错误具有重要意义。
