Burnout syndrome among employees in a clinical center in Montenegro during COVID-19

D. Backović, D. Jovanović, Z. Bukmirić, M. Paut Kusturica, M. Asotic

Clinical Center of Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro. milica.paut-kusturica@mf.uns.ac.rs

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• Infectious Diseases
• Psychiatry

OBJECTIVE: Burnout syndrome occurs as a result of the influence of stressors in the workplace. The chronic disproportion between the demands placed on the worker and the resources available to fulfill the demands makes a significant contribution to the development of this syndrome. The occurrence of burnout syndrome has been shown to occur in a wide range of jobs, and it is taking on epidemic proportions among healthcare workers. So far, there have been no large-scale studies dealing with burnout syndrome in healthcare workers in Montenegro.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The research was conducted as a cross-sectional study. All full-time employees of the Clinical Center of Montenegro who participated in the treatment of patients with COVID-19 during 2020 and 2021 were included in the research. Questionnaires used in the research were: a general questionnaire for collecting socio-demographic data, a questionnaire for the assessment of burnout syndrome at work – Maslach Burnout Inventory and a COVID-19 stress scale.

RESULTS: The prevalence of burnout syndrome was 16.8% among employees who were engaged around COVID-19 patients. Predictors of burnout syndrome identified were occupation (nurses/technicians have a 2.8 times higher chance of burnout syndrome than doctors as a reference category), confirmed COVID-19 infection (subjects with confirmed COVID-19 infection have more than 2 times higher chance for burnout syndrome), higher CSS scores (subjects with high CSS score have a 3% higher chance of developing burnout syndrome).

CONCLUSIONS: In order to reduce losses due to reduced productivity of employees and prevent long-term detrimental consequences on the mental health of employees, evidence-based preventive measures are needed.

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