The exposure of family medicine residents to stress and burnout syndrome

Introduction: The burnout syndrome is defined as chronic work stress that includes three dimensions: the sense of the emotional exhaustion, the negative approach to providing services (depersonalization) and the sense of reduced personal accomplishment. The physician' profession is one of the professions at the greatest risk of suffering from the burnout syndrome. Objective: The objective of this paper is to assess the prevalence of the burnout syndrome and stress among resident physicians in family medicine in the Republic of Srpska. Methods: The study was carried out on the basis of a questionnaire survey among family medicine residents in the Educational Centers of Family Medicine in Banja Luka and Doboj during the period from February 1, to April 30, 2010. The examinees fulfilled the questionnaire for the self-assessment of the stress level (Giardino, Everly, Dusek, 1996) and Maslach Burnout Inventory questionnaire (Maslach et al. 1996) that are amended with data regarding age, sex and years of service. Results: During the study period in the Educational Centers of Family Medicine in Banja Luka and Doboj 59 physicians were present but offered questionnaire was answered and returned by 47 (79.67 %) physicians. A total of 59.6% examinees met criteria for the high level of stress. The high level of the emotional exhaustion was present among 25.6 % of examinees; the high degree of depersonalization was present among 25.6 % of examinees while the low level of personal accomplishment was present among 42.5 % of the surveyed physicians. Conclusion: The high level of stress was present in more than half of examinees; the high or moderate level of emotional exhaustion; the high or moderate level of depersonalization and the low or moderate level of the personal accomplishment. The acquired results indicate that there is a need to undertake measures for prevention of the stress and burnout syndrome.