Sociodemographic and Work-Related Factors Associated with Burnout Syndrome in Healthcare Professionals

Background: Burnout syndrome, intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, has profoundly impacted healthcare professionals' mental health globally. This study in Peru aimed to investigate sociodemographic and work-related factors associated with burnout dimensions among healthcare workers. Methods: Employing a cross-sectional predictive design, this study encompassed 1,844 healthcare professionals across three major hospitals in Peru. A carefully selected sample of 334 participants, ranging in age from 22 to 68 years and including both genders, was studied. Data collection involved a comprehensive sociodemographic work form and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), which is recognized for its robust psychometric properties. The research included thorough psychometric, descriptive, and inferential analyses, using linear regression to test various predictive models. Results: The study found that emotional exhaustion was significantly associated with several factors, including employment status (R² = 0.010), marital status (R² = 0.003), and length of service (R² = 0.015). Depersonalization showed a significant correlation with gender (R² = 0.015) and the amount of daily patient contact. Personal accomplishment was notably influenced by gender (R² = 0.039) and length of service (R² = 0.025). Conclusions: The research identified several key factors contributing to burnout, notably being female, having a contracted employment status, shorter service duration (specifically 6 to 10 years), and engaging in 1 to 6 hours of patient contact per day. These insights are crucial for understanding burnout in healthcare settings and underscore the need for targeted interventions and support strategies for healthcare professionals.