Workplace factors and burnout in Brazilian anaesthesiologists

There is a high prevalence of burnout among anesthesiologists, which may affect their mental health and safety in clinical anesthesia practice. Despite this, there is limited knowledge about workplace factors associated with burnout among anesthesiologists, and there is a lack of interventional studies focusing on the environment. Therefore, we designed a cross-sectional study of Brazilian anesthesiologists to assess workplace factors related to burnout syndrome and its dimensions. The survey included sample characteristics, the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel, and a 'job difficulty score.' Bivariate and multivariate Poisson regression models calculated the prevalence ratios (PR) and assessed the relationship between variables. The response rate was 11.11% (973/8755). Burnout prevalence was 7.2%. The prevalence rates of high emotional exhaustion, high depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment were 28%, 10.9%, and 17.8%, respectively. Burnout was associated with strained relationships (PR 3.05, 1.64-5.68, p= 0.00), feeling disrespected at work (PR 2.45, 1.37-4.40, p= 0.00) and scoring at the 'job difficulty score' (PR 1.26, 1.16-1.37, p= 0.00). Emotional exhaustion was linked to productivity pressure (PR 1.34, 1.01-1.78, p= 0.46), working sick because of staff shortages (PR 1.67, 1.22-2.30, p= 0.00), moral harassment (PR 1.54, 1.15-2.05, p= 0.00), strained relationships (PR 2.09, 1.55-2.84, p= 0.00), conflict of values (PR 1.42, 1.05-1.92, p= 0.02), managing patients' airways during the COVID-19 pandemic (PR 1.52, 1.06-2.18, p= 0.02) and scoring at the 'job difficulty score' (PR 1.15, 1.10-1.2, p= 0.00). Depersonalization was related to strained relationships (PR 2.30, 1.41-3.78, p= 0.00), feeling disrespected at work (PR 1.87, 1.16-3.02, p= 0.01), and scoring at the 'job difficulty score' (PR 1.21, 1.13-1.29, p= 0.00). The low personal accomplishment related to not having access to decisions that affect the workplace (PR 1.27, 1.02-1.57, p= 0.02), working part-time in public and part-time in private hospitals (PR 0.78, 0.62-0.98, p= 0.03) and scoring the "job difficulty score" (PR 1.26, 1.16-1.37, p= 0.00). Overall, the workplace has distinct effects on each burnout component, and mapping this information will allow for the design of customized interventional studies in anesthesia.