Prevalence of burnout in O&G registrars in the University of Witwatersrand department during Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

Abstract

Background The symptoms of burnout syndrome are still poorly understood, particularly in the context of healthcare. There are a variety of contributing factors to burnout, including age, gender, seniority, sociocultural background, having children, and marital status. Resilience, a supportive family structure, a productive work environment, and sufficient resource availability are some of the protective factors that can prevent burnout. Over the past few years, there has been a growing interest in the mental health of healthcare professionals, with registrar burnout receiving particular attention. Objectives To determine the prevalence of burnout amongst registrars in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology department during the Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and to identify possible risk factors and supportive factors which may prevent burnout. Methods This study was an analytical, cross-sectional study. Electronic survey in the form of a questionnaire was sent via email to all registrars at the University of Witwatersrand Obstetrics and Gynaecology circuit during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic from March 2020 to June 2021. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used as a tool to evaluate burnout. It consists of a series of statements related to the feelings and experiences associated with burnout. The Respondents are asked to rate how frequently they experience each statement on a scale from 0 to 6. A high degree of burnout is reflected by high scores on emotional exhaustion and depersonalization subscales and low scores on the personal accomplishment subscale. 11 Results There was a 69% response rate from the participants. Of the responding participants, 57.8% were female and 42.2% were male. In this study only 28.9% of the participants showed emotional exhaustion. Depersonalization was high in 53.3% and 75.6% had a low personal achievement. The overall burnout among the O&G registrars was 4.4%. No significant association between sociodemographic (age, gender, marital status) and MBI dimensions was found. Conclusion The burnout prevalence among O&G registrars was low potentially because of protective workplace factors. Reducing the risk of burnout may be achieved by creating a supportive work environment and implementing resilience-building programs. These protective factors should be investigated further to guide healthcare burnout prevention strategies.