Prevalence and Causes of Burnout among Physicians in Arar City, KSA

Abstract

Background: Since burnout is a common condition, and its prevalence is expected to increase with time, lack of knowledge about such problem could impede early diagnosis and may lead to delays in seeking appropriate care. Objective: to estimate the prevalence and factors associated with burnout among physicians in Saudi Arabia. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted during the period from 1 June to 30 November 2021 on a sample of physicians in health care centers in Arar city. All data were collected, tabulated, and statistically analyzed using SPSS 23.0 for windows. Results: Of all 303 participants, 51.5% were males and 48.5% were females. 33.7% of study sample aged between 20-30 years old. Most (91.7%) of them were working 6-10 hours per day. Only 1% of participants were working 3 days a week, 5.6% 4 days a week and 64.4% 5 days a week. Only 8.9% of our study participants felt emotionally exhausted because of work every day, 17.2% several times a week and 14.9% once a week. As for burnout, 9.2%, 11.9%, 11.6%, 13.9%, 14.5%, 21.1%, and 17.8% felt burned out every day, several times a week, once a week, several times a month, at least once a month, at least few times a year, and never respectively. 23.4% planned to quit their current job. Conclusion: Physicians in Saudi Arabia suffer from burnout and emotional exhaustion within reported ranges in previous literature. Actions must be taken to avoid exhaustion, stress, and emphasize pliability.