Burnout, workplace violence and social support among drivers and conductors in the road passenger transport sector in Maputo City, Mozambique.

OBJECTIVES Workplace violence is a work stressor which is presumed to lead to burnout, whereas social support is hypothesized to buffer the impact of such a stressor on health outcomes. In this study the association between burnout and workplace violence was investigated, and the role played by social support in moderating the relationship assessed. The study group consisted of workers in the road passenger transport sector in Maputo City, Mozambique. METHODS A random sample of 504 participants was selected from a register of 2,618 drivers and conductors working with road passenger transport. The study design was cross-sectional. Previously validated measures of burnout, workplace violence and social support were used. RESULTS The prevalence of severe burnout was 3.6% and of mild burnout 30.1%. Workplace violence was significantly associated with burnout after control for potential confounders. Burnout was more common among workers lacking social support following workplace violence than among peers who had received supported following an incident of violence. CONCLUSIONS The study suggests that burnout is a public health problem among workers in the road passenger transport sector, and may be closely and independently linked to workplace violence. Social support appears to buffer or moderate the effect of workplace violence on burnout. This has implications for policy in the workplace. Strategies and guidelines are needed to support workers following workplace violence, since these may prove vital in reducing burnout and other psychosocial consequences.