Workers´ health disorders: Burnout syndrome on public servers

Abstract

Background Burnout syndrome encompasses emotional tiredness, depersonalization and the sense of low personal fulfilment. Aims The aim of this study is to analyse Burnout syndrome on public servers. Methods Participants were 121 employees of public institutions, where 46 were females (38.02 per cent) and 75 males (61.98 per cent), aged between 24 and 58 years (Mage=36.21, SD=7.98). As measurement regent Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey was applied. As statistical analyses descriptive techniques of central tendency and dispersion were conducted. Inferential analyses encompassed correlation techniques, variance comparison and risk factor prediction. Results There were found significant correlations among Burnout dimensions: (a) emotional tiredness, (b) depersonalization, and (c) low personal fulfilment (r=0.32–0.63). Between 5 per cent and 20 per cent of workers presented a high risk to present Burnout’s symptomatology. Male gender presented 1.39 (IC 0.61–3.15) and 1.12 (IC 0.48–2.60) times more probability to present low personal fulfilment and depersonalization respectively. Females presented 1.39 (IC 0.61–3.15) times more probability to present emotional tiredness. According to educational level, workers with secondary level presented lower personal fulfilment (F=4.33, p=0.002) than those with higher educational level. Conclusion Analyses of data in relationship with previous studies are realized, highlighting the need to implement future interventions in order to diminish the risk for a public server to present the Burnout syndrome.