Burnout among Egyptian physical therapists in burn departments – a pilot study

Abstract

Background. Burnout is a common syndrome among healthcare providers which affects their quality of life and the healthcare service they provide. Physical therapists in burn units are at high risk to develop burnout due to several stressors. Objective. This study’s main objective was to evaluate the extent of burnout experienced by physical therapists employed in burn units. Design. The present study employed a cross-sectional study. Methods. A total of 520 physical therapists, aged 24–44 years, working in burn units of Egyptian hospitals participated in our study. Burnout evaluation was conducted using the Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS). Results. 520 physical therapists participated in the study, about 50% of them were aged between 30 and 40 years, and about 44.9% had a bachelor’s degree. Females represented 63.3% of them. According to the results of the MBI-HSS assessment, it was found that 73.5% of the participants exhibited symptoms of burnout on the emotional exhaustion (EE) scale, while 44% displayed burnout on the depersonalization (DP) scale. Additionally, 51% of the participants reported low personal accomplishment (PA) on the scale measuring this construct. Results confirmed that men, more than women, experienced depersonalization, and they were less satisfied with their professional accomplishments. Conclusion. Physical therapists working in burn units who responded to the survey expressed severe burnout. To assess the impact of burnout on physical therapists working in burn units and to create strategies to lessen it, more study is needed.