The Prevalence of Burnout Syndrome Among Turkish Urologists: Results of a Nationwide Survey

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of Burnout syndrome (BS) with its emotional exhausting (EE),\rdepersonalization (DP), and personal accomplishment (PA) dimensions among Turkish urologists.\rMaterial and methods: A total of 2,259 certified Turkish urologists were invited by e-mail to participate\rin this cross-sectional survey-based study. An online survey was conducted to evaluate three dimensions of\rBS ie: -EE, DP and PA-and their association with socio-demographic variables of Turkish urologists using\rthe Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI).\rResults: Of the 2259 urologists contacted, 362 (with a mean age of 44±9.9 years) completed the survey. The\rmean EE, DP and PA scores were 16.8±8.7, 6.6±4.6 and 8.2±5.6, respectively. Cronbach’s α reliability co-\refficiencies were 0.920 for EE, 0.819 for DP and 0.803 for PA. Antidepressant drug usage was quite prevalent\ramong participants (21.9%), and the most common comorbidity was hypertension (13%). The academic title,\rage, smoking status, monthly income and relationships between colleagues and employers were associated\rwith BS (p<0.05).\rConclusion: The prevalence of BS among Turkish urologists is quite prevalent in terms of EE and DP\rsubscales and may negatively affect the psychosocial status and well-being of the urologists. In this study, a\rhigh prevalence of BS has been reported among Turkish urologists. In conclusion the BS could become an\rimportant occupational and health problem, if it is not properly managed.