Burnout Syndrome, Mental Splitting and Depression in Female Health Care Professionals

BACKGROUND: The early days of a given experience are associated with typically what might be characterized as an idealized enthusiasm. Conversely burnout syndrome experienced later in the given experience is associated with disillusionment, disappointment, and symptoms which resemble a depression. This very common propensity is a parallel to the concept of “splitting” described by Kernberg with a pronounced “black and white” perceptual dichotomy between the early idealization and later disillusionment. This study intends examination of relationships between burnout syndrome, depression, and Kernberg’s concept of splitting. MATERIAL/METHODS: In this present study, we assessed 132 female health care professionals working with a population of diabetic patients utilizing Burnout Measure (BM) Splitting Index (SI), Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II), and additional psychometric instruments, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale and the Trauma Symptoms Checklist. RESULTS: The study results indicated significant Spearman correlations between burnout syndrome as measured by BM and depression (BDI-II) (R=0.62, P<0.01), and burnout syndrome as measured by BM and splitting (SI) (R=0.45, P<0.01). These findings may have implications for prevention and treatment of burnout syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: The current study findings provide implications that the defensive mechanism of splitting may allow for the prediction of burnout symptoms which in turn may allow for the prediction of burnout syndrome. This dynamics may potentially be of use in both the potential detection and prevention of burnout syndrome.