Prevalence of burnout among midwives in greater Tunis

Abstract

Introduction: burnout has been defined as a process that develops over time; it manifests as emotional exhaustion associated with depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment. Methods: we conducted a quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study based on a survey of a representative sample of midwives. The survey was conducted for one month (15 July 2019-15 August 2019). It was conducted in 4 University Maternity Hospitals in greater Tunis. We used The Maslach Burn out Inventory (MBI). The purpose of this survey was to determine the prevalence of burnout in a population of midwives working in a level III Maternity Hospital in greater Tunis. The secondary purpose was to identify the risk factors associated with severe burnout. Results: our study was conducted among 90 midwives. It showed that burnout is a real and alarming condition. Eighty-six point seven percent of midwives interviewed had burnout. In more detail, emotional exhaustion was high in 50% of cases, depersonalization was high in 47.8% and personal fulfillment was low in 14.40% of them. Factors significantly associated with severe burnout were: celibacy, <20 years seniority, high work overload, the long distance between home and work, professional regret, dissatisfaction with working schedules and with the overall work organization, a toxic work environment, work stress, occupational disease, work accidents and behavioral addiction. Conclusion: given these alarming results, prevention, screening and management measures for midwives affected by this syndrome or at risk of developing it should be implemented. Well-founded stress management training should be integrated into the university curriculum. The prevention and treatment of burnout will certainly have a significant impact on quality of life and therefore on quality of care.