The prevalence of Burnout Syndrome among Turkish Urologists: Results of a Nationwide Survey

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of Burnout syndrome (BS) with its emotional exhausting (EE), depersonalization (DP), and personal accomplishment (PA) dimensions among Turkish urologists. Material and methods: A total of 2,259 certified Turkish urologists were invited by e-mail to participate in this cross-sectional survey-based study. An online survey was conducted to evaluate three dimensions of BS ie: -EE, DP and PA-and their association with socio-demographic variables of Turkish urologists using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Results: Of the 2259 urologists contacted, 362 (with a mean age of 44 +/- 9.9 years) completed the survey. The mean EE, DP and PA scores were 16.8 +/- 8.7, 6.6 +/- 4.6 and 8.2 +/- 5.6, respectively. Cronbach's a reliability co-efficiencies were 0.920 for EE, 0.819 for DP and 0.803 for PA. Antidepressant drug usage was quite prevalent among participants (21.9%), and the most common comorbidity was hypertension (13%). The academic title, age, smoking status, monthly income and relationships between colleagues and employers were associated with BS (p<0.05). Conclusion: The prevalence of BS among Turkish urologists is quite prevalent in terms of EE and DP subscales and may negatively affect the psychosocial status and well-being of the urologists. In this study, a high prevalence of BS has been reported among Turkish urologists. In conclusion the BS could become an important occupational and health problem, if it is not properly managed.