Prevalence of burnout among intensive care physicians: a systematic review

Abstract

Objective We performed a systematic review to summarize the knowledge regarding the prevalence of burnout among intensive care unit physicians. Methods We conducted a systematic review of the MEDLINE and PubMed® databases (last update 04.02.2019) with the goal of summarizing the evidence on burnout among intensive care unit physicians. We included all studies reporting burnout in intensive care unit personnel according to the Maslach Burnout Inventory questionnaire and then screened studies for data on burnout among intensive care unit physician specifically. Results We found 31 studies describing burnout in intensive care unit staff and including different healthcare profiles. Among these, 5 studies focused on physicians only, and 12 others investigated burnout in mixed intensive care unit personnel but provided separate data on physicians. The prevalence of burnout varied greatly across studies (range 18% - 49%), but several methodological discrepancies, among them cut-off criteria for defining burnout and variability in the Likert scale, precluded a meaningful pooled analysis. Conclusion The prevalence of burnout syndrome among intensive care unit physicians is relatively high, but significant methodological heterogeneities warrant caution being used in interpreting our results. The lower reported levels of burnout seem higher than those found in studies investigating mixed intensive care unit personnel. There is an urgent need for consensus recommending a consistent use of the Maslach Burnout Inventory test to screen burnout, in order to provide precise figures on burnout in intensive care unit physicians.

The Burden of Burnout among Healthcare Professionals of Intensive Care Units and Emergency Departments during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

“…Globally, the prevalence of overall burnout shown by ICU/ED HCWs during the emergency was high, ranging from 49.3% [31] to 58% [25]. These findings are consistent with previous results on burnout amongst this specific category of workers before the pandemic [19,[34][35][36]. Indeed, several systematic reviews explored this issue, reporting the lowest values of burnout prevalence from 6% [34] to 25.4% [36] and the highest from 41% [19] to 71.4% [36].…”

Burnout among Respiratory Therapists and Perception of Leadership: A Cross Sectional Survey Over Eight Intensive Care Units

“…14,15 The three domains are, the depersonalization (DP), emotional exhaustion (EE), and low personal accomplishment (PA). High burnout is quantified as follows: EE score of 27 or higher, and/or DP sores of 13 or above, or PA score of 33 or below 16 (ie, higher EE and DP but lower PA scores correspond to more burnout). The CWEQ scale, developed by Kanter et al in1977, consists of 19 items and is measured by a 5-point Likert-type response.…”

Personality Traits, Burnout, and Psychopathology in Healthcare Professionals in Intensive Care Units—A Moderated Analysis

“…Burnout is influenced by enduring personal and environmental stressors, such as major illness, family difficulties, or persistent adversity [ 5 ]. In healthcare, burnout syndrome and stress-related disorders are prevalent, impacting various roles like nurses [ 6 , 7 ], emergency room physicians [ 8 ], and intensive care unit (ICU) physicians [ 9 , 10 ]. Mental health professionals are also susceptible to high levels of burnout syndrome [ 11 ] due to the significant emotional and cognitive stress associated with their profession [ 12 ].…”