Doctors Are The Ones Who Suffer Most From Burnout Syndrome

One of the problems that doctors face in the exercise of their profession is the burnout syndrome. It is a mental and physical state characterized by the feeling that you can no longer. It is caused by exposure to stress for a long time, it is a sign of saturation and emotional exhaustion, further enhanced by the inability to meet constant demands.

If this stress becomes chronic, they also suffer a loss of interest and motivation, together with a feeling of emptiness. Such discouragement favors absenteeism and reduces productivity and effectiveness. Doctors with this syndrome stop worrying about their families and their personal life is undermined. In addition, they believe that nothing they do is appreciated or considered by others.

Burnout syndrome was described by Herbert Freudenberger in 1947 and is considered typical of people who have stressful jobs.

After months or years of intense dedication, symptoms are manifested as a result of a negative interaction between the worker, the work environment, the staff, the organizational structure and the work itself. In addition, it is a syndrome that often has serious psychosomatic and psychiatric complications.

On the other hand, a study on the wear suffered by health professionals, published by the Archives of Internal Medicine (JAMA) and directed by Dr. Tait D. Shanafelt, from the Mayo Clinic, in Minnesota (USA), revealed that 45.8% of the 7,288 respondents had suffered severe symptoms indicative of burnout.

If we compare these data with workers in the general population, doctors have an 8.6% higher risk of being emotionally exhausted and 10% more suffering from wear and tear. Also, your chances of feeling dissatisfied with your personal and work life are 17% higher than the average population.

Keep in mind that air traffic controllers, war pilots, and some high-risk medical specialties are the professions traditionally considered to have a higher level of stress, due to the high degree of responsibility they entail.