The prevalence of Burnout Syndrome among Turkish Urologists: Results of a Nationwide Survey

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of Burnout syndrome (BS) with its emotional exhausting (EE), depersonalization (DP), and personal accomplishment (PA) dimensions among Turkish urologists.

Material and methods: A total of 2,259 certified Turkish urologists were invited by e-mail to participate in this cross-sectional survey-based study. An online survey was conducted to evaluate three dimensions of BS ie: -EE, DP and PA-and their association with socio-demographic variables of Turkish urologists using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI).

Results: Of the 2259 urologists contacted, 362 (with a mean age of 44±9.9 years) completed the survey. The mean EE, DP and PA scores were 16.8±8.7, 6.6±4.6 and 8.2±5.6, respectively. Cronbach’s α reliability co-efficiencies were 0.920 for EE, 0.819 for DP and 0.803 for PA. Antidepressant drug usage was quite prevalent among participants (21.9%), and the most common comorbidity was hypertension (13%). The academic title, age, smoking status, monthly income and relationships between colleagues and employers were associated with BS (p<0.05).

Conclusion: The prevalence of BS among Turkish urologists is quite prevalent in terms of EE and DP subscales and may negatively affect the psychosocial status and well-being of the urologists. In this study, a high prevalence of BS has been reported among Turkish urologists. In conclusion the BS could become an important occupational and health problem, if it is not properly managed.

Cite this article as: Bolat MS, Yürük E, Çınar Ö, Akdeniz E, Altunrende F, Özkuvancı Ü, et al. The prevalence of Burnout Syndrome among Turkish Urologists: Results of a Nationwide Survey. Turk J Urol 2019; 45(6): 449-55.