Prevalence of burnout syndrome and its related risk factors among physicians working in primary health care centers of the Ministry of Health, Al Ahsa region, Saudi Arabia, 2018–2019

Burnout syndrome (BS) is a relatively common occupational problem. It is a psychological and behavioral syndrome described by three dimensions: emotional exhaustion (EE); depersonalization (DP); and low personal accomplishment (PA). OBJECTIVES: This study aims to calculate the prevalence of BS and its related risk factors among physicians of primary health care centers (PHCCs) of the Ministry of Health (MOH, Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted in which 280 physicians working in PHCCs were selected as a comprehensive sample, the response rate was 80.7%. We excluded the trainee of residency programs, interns, and hospital physicians providing partial service in PHCCs. The data was collected by using two-part self-administered questionnaire including sociodemographic data, working conditions, and Maslach Burnout Inventory™-Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel—MBI-HSS (MP). This data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) program. RESULTS: The mean score for EE was 24.99 ± 11.54 SD. The mean score for DP was 9.19 ± 6.13 SD. For PA, it was 29.41 ± 9.9 SD. The percentage of participants who scored high in EE was 47.3%. About one-half of the participants scored high DP and 59.7% had diminished PA. About one-quarter of the participants (24.3%) scored high burnout in all three dimensions. High EE was present in ages from 35 to 45 years, Saudi participants, rotating or covering physicians, and participants who were satisfied with their job. High DP was seen in Saudi physicians, family physicians, rotating or covering physicians, those who were not satisfied with their job, and physicians who work in rural areas. Low PA was seen in physicians who were not satisfied with their job, rotating or covering physicians, participants who do not have tasks other than clinical work, and physicians who work in Omran sector. CONCLUSION: There is a significant level of burnout among physicians working in PHCCs in Al Ahsa. High burnout was associated with some risk factors. Further research is needed to study this problem in depth.