Burnout among health professionals in a tertiary medical college of northern Kerala, India

Abstract

Background: Health care has emerged as an industry with potential source of stress in the workplace environment. Burnout is characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. The objectives of the study were to study proportion and associated factors of burnourt among health professionals in medical college.Methods: Data was collected using a questionnaire by using Copenhagen burnout inventory. From a sample frame from of 856, proportionate sampling was to get 187. Data was expressed in proportions and Chi square test was used as test of significance.Results: There are 187 subjects participating in the study which comprised of 52 (27.8%) males and 135 (72.2%) females. Most of the participants who are stressed, falls in the age group less than thirty five years age, i.e. 59.9%. Client related stress was seen in subjects who were staying alone without family. Those who worked more than six hours per day had more personal burn out 17% and the result were significant. 60.4% had job related stress due to night shifts. Those subjects whose income was less than forty thousand rupees had high job related burn out 51.3%. Work related burn out was increased in subjects who had no exercise 47% at all and the result was very highly significant.Conclusions: Professional development programmes should be incorporated to improve the fit between the organisation and the professionals.