Burnout syndrome in primary health care professionals

Abstract

Burnout is characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and low occupational performance, which may occur among health professionals. This article evaluates burnout among workers in Primary Health Care (PHC) in three small towns in the Zona da Mata Mineira. The study analyzes associations by logistic regression between burnout, socioeconomic, and demographic aspects of work. A total of 149 professionals were selected, 107 of these responded to all questionnaires. To measure burnout, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used and to characterize the professional, a questionnaire assessing three different issues-namely individual and sociodemographic aspects and team area coverage-was used. 101 professionals were classified with positive indication for burnout. The variables present in the backward stepwise logistic regression model positively associated with indicative of burnout were: being younger than the population average (> 29.5 years) and use of drugs, including sedatives, tranquilizers and sleeping pills. The results contribute to the identification of factors associated with burnout and therefore highlight the need for more detailed investigation.