Burnout syndrome among workers referred to an occupational health unit
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Abstract
Background: Burnout syndrome is an occupational phenomenon that affects the health and well-being of workers. However, its frequency in populations referred to specialized occupational health units in specific territorial contexts is poorly documented.
Objective: To estimate the frequency of suspected burnout syndrome and to explore its association with sociodemographic, occupational, and lifestyle variables in workers referred from Primary Care to the occupational health unit of Lleida, Alt Pirineu, and Aran during 2024.
Methodology: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 51 workers referred from Primary Care to the occupational health unit in Lleida, Alt Pirineu, and Aran in 2024. Sociodemographic data were collected, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory – General Survey (MBI-GS) was administered. The main outcome was MBI-GS positivity. Odds Ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated to explore the association between positivity and the independent variables.
Main results: Nineteen of the 51 workers (37.3%) presented positive results, indicating suspected burnout in this referred population. Most of the associations analyzed were not statistically significant. Workers aged 26 to 45 years showed a lower risk of positivity.
Conclusion: In this specific sample of workers referred to the occupational health unit, suspected burnout was a frequent occurrence. The findings should be interpreted with caution due to the small sample size and the selected nature of the population; therefore, the results are considered exploratory.
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