Work environment and burnout in primary care health workers: The mediating role of social well-being

Abstract

Research with primary care health workers doesn't take in consideration well-being as a strategy for health prevention and health promotion in the workplace. This study aimed to evaluate how social well-being mediates the relationship between the occurrence of aggressive behaviors and psychosocial risks at work in the development of Burnout Syndrome in 248 primary healthcare workers of Porto Alegre, Brazil. The instruments used for data collection were: sociodemographic questionnaire, the Brazilian Criterion of Economic Classification, a questionnaire about work perception in primary healthcare, the Psychosocial Risks at Work scales, the Healthcare-worker's Aggressive Behavior Scale-Users, the "Spanish Burnout Inventory", and the Social Well-Being Scale. Results show that Social Well-Being is a protective significant mediator between the occurrence of healthcare user's aggressive-behaviors and psychosocial work risks in Burnout development. Further psychosocial interventions based on these findings are needed to promote health in this population.