Burnout syndrome in mental health workers belonging to the Public Provincial Network in the city of Córdoba, Argentine

Abstract

Burnout Syndrome (BOS) is understood as a response to chronic work-related stressors, with emotional exhaustion as its core dimension. It has a high prevalence among healthcare professionals. This study aims to expand the current knowledge on the topic and to explore and compare the presence of BOS among mental health professionals within the provincial mental health network in the city of Córdoba. It is a quantitative, prospective, exploratory, and correlational study. Data were collected through a survey including sociodemographic variables and the EBLA scale, administered to mental health professionals (n=127). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) for numerical variables, frequency analysis for qualitative variables, and chi-square tests, using the Infostat software. The results confirm a high prevalence of BOS (63.8%) among the respondents, with a higher impact observed in residents in training (86.36%) and women (71.26%). Moreover, burnout was more frequent among professionals who are cohabiting or separated, work more than 36 hours per week, are between 20 and 30 years old, have more than 20 or less than 5 years of experience, and work in tertiary-level hospital settings. These findings not only highlight the vulnerability of certain groups but also underscore the need to reflect on workplace dynamics and the significant level of emotional exhaustion experienced by professionals, which contributes to the persistence of this syndrome.