Prevalence, Patterns, and Predictors of Burnout Among Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Hospital in North-Eastern Nigeria
Main Article Content
Keywords
Burnout, health professional, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, low personal achievement, Nigeria
Abstract
Background: Burnout is a job-related phenomenon that results from prolonged, unresolved workplace stress. It is characterized by feelings of exhaustion, increased mental distance from one’s job, and reduced professional efficacy. In Nigeria, the ongoing emigration of the medical workforce, coupled with growing work load and poor working conditions, has heightened the risk of burnout, especially in states with severe healthcare manpower shortages, such as Adamawa State. This study assessed the prevalence, patterns, and predictors of burnout among healthcare workers at Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital, Yola, Adamawa State, Northeastern Nigeria.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 doctors and nurses at Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital, Yola, Northeastern Nigeria, selected through a two-stage sampling. Data were collected using a semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire incorporating the Maslach Burnout Inventory for Human Services Survey adapted for Medical Personnel. Predictors were determined using a multivariable logistic regression analysis.
Results: The prevalence of burnout was high, affecting 140 (70.0%) respondents, with low personal achievement being the most common dimension (103; 51.5%). High emotional exhaustion was reported by 58 (29.0%) respondents, while depersonalization was observed among 52 (26.0%). Professional cadre and perception of the work environment were significantly associated with burnout, with nurses (AOR: 3.62, 95% CI: 1.37 - 9.59, p: 0.010) and those reporting a negative perception of their work environment (AOR: 6.98, 95% CI: 2.22 - 22.01, p: 0.001) showing higher levels of burnout.
Conclusion: Burnout was highly prevalent among the healthcare workers, potentially affecting their well-being and the quality of care provided. Improvements in the work environment, institutional stress-management programmes, and staffing policy reforms are recommended.
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