[The prevalence of the burnout syndrome in the personnel of children's institutions].

Abstract

It was the purpose of this study to investigate the occupational "burn out" syndrome in personnel catering for children at nurseries and mother-and-child homes (MCH). Burnout as consequence of unsurmounted prolonged occupational stress in characterized by a growing sense of professional exhaustion, indifference to the ones entrusted, decreased reliance on one's own professional skills, loss of motivation for work. Using Maslach's questionnaire, the extent of experienced burn out was defined for 180 subjects from a variety of child establishments. Results indicated prevalence of early stages of the syndrome, which was significantly higher at MCHs, reflecting differences in workloads. Clearly manifested symptoms were noted in 30% of investigated subjects. The burn out state of personnel at child establishments was primarily characterized by decrease in the sense of competence and performance. Since a marked burn out syndrome in attending personnel carries a risk for the general development of children, there is a need for recognizing the problem and defining responsibilities for relevant prevention.