Burnout among Lebanese Oncologists: Prevalence and Risk Factors

Abstract

Background: Burnout syndrome (BOS) is defined as a work-related psychological state characterized by emotional<br />exhaustion, depersonalization, and low sense of personal accomplishment. Despite the extensive data on physician<br />burnout, studies assessing the prevalence of burnout among oncologists in the Middle East and especially Lebanon are<br />lacking. Our main objective was to determine this prevalence as well as identify potential factors associated with the<br />development of burnout. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among medical, surgical, and radiation<br />oncologists attending several Continuing Medical Education (CME) activities in Lebanon over the course of a three<br />month period. Participants were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire composed of socio-demographic<br />and work characteristics, as well as the Maslach Burnout Inventory- Human Service Survey (MBI-HSS). Results: A total<br />of 51 oncologists completed the survey. Medical oncologists constituted the majority (84.3%), followed by surgical<br />oncologists (9.8%) and radiation oncologists (5.9%). Approximately 47.1% of our sample had a high burnout level in at<br />least one of the domains. 33.3% of oncologists exhibited high emotional exhaustion (EE) scores, 19.6% demonstrated<br />low personal accomplishment (PA) scores, and 13.7% displayed high depersonalization (DP) scores. There was no<br />statistically significant association between overall burnout level and any of the demographic or work characteristics.<br />However, age was significantly associated with EE (p=0.03), while DP scores were significantly associated with the<br />number of patients seen daily (p=0.028). Conclusion: Burnout is common among cancer professionals in Lebanon.<br />Future research is needed to explore the problem in depth and suggest effective preventive approaches.