Burnout syndrome, symptoms of trauma, and psychological distress in Palestinian healthcare professionals: the protective role of spiritual wellbeing

ABSTRACT We investigated whether, and to what extent, spiritual well-being was associated with psychological distress, traumatic response, and professional burnout in practitioners working in the Palestinian healthcare sector. Participants were 131 in-service healthcare workers employed in public and private health facilities in Gaza and the West Bank. Analysis of the statistical effects revealed that spiritual well-being was associated with psychological distress and burnout. On the contrary, it did not appear to be strongly associated with trauma symptoms. These findings point up the key role of spiritual well-being in the experience of healthcare professionals operating in contexts of low-intensity warfare.