Burnout and Predictors for Burnout among physicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina- survey and study

Received: 18. 05. 2006. Accepted: 18. 10. 2006. High rates of professional burnout syndrome have been found among health service professionals. Our objective �as to study the prevalence of burnout syndrome among physicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina and to determine its relationship �ith environmental factors of the �orking ambient. A total of 700 physicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina �ere invited to participate (response rate �as 73%, No. of respondents=511). Intervie�ees �ere given a specifically designed questionnaire, an Occupational stress questionnaire (OSQ) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. A high level of emotional exhaustion �as detected in 27%, a high level of depersonalization �as found in 23%, and reduced personal accomplishment �as found in 29% of physicians. There is a significant level of burnout among physicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina, although comparison �ith other countries is still favorable. Occupational characteristics and socialdemographic variables �ere significant predictors of burnout. Lo� level of job satisfaction (OR= 2.41, 95% CI=0.29-4.53) and feeling of high level of stress (OR= 2.00, 95% CI=0.08-3.92) �ere associated �ith a high level of emotional exhaustion among physician consultants; a feeling of a high level of stress, urgency to get �ork and “�ork is mentally strenuous” are risk factors for a higher level of emotional exhaustion among university teaching consultants and general and family medicine practitioners. Personal accomplishment �as not related to social demographics and personal factors among clinical specialists and university teaching consultants. Younger age (OR=3.55, 95%CI= 1.195.91) and marital status (single versus not single; OR= 1.93, 95% CI=1.06-2.80) are risk factors for emotional exhaustion among general and family medicine practitioners. In vie� of the results obtained, to reduce professional burnout, the physicians’ organizational environment should be improved.