Features of emotional burnout syndrome in medical college teachers

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background. Due to the high emotional intensity of the teacher's professional activity, re- sponsibility and complexity of the of teaching work, the risk of developing emotional burnout syndrome increases. Aim. To investigate the characteristics of emotional burnout syndrome in medical college teachers. Material & Methods. This work was carried out using the sociological method (according to Maslach Burnout Inventory by Maslach K. & Jackson S., 1986) at the Bohodukhiv Medical Vo- cational College, a municipal health care institution of the Kharkiv Regional Council. The survey involved 38 teachers, including 6 men and 32 women. The age of the teachers ranged from 30 to 62 years, and their teaching experience ranged from 3 to 35 years. Results. According to the "emotional exhaustion" scale, 15 (39.4%) of the respondents had the first degree of emotional burnout, 13 (34.2%) had the second degree, and 4 (10.5%) had the third degree. According to the scale of "alienation", 14 (36.8%) of the respondents showed the first degree of emotional burnout, and 10 (26.3%) – the second degree. According to the scale of "devaluation of own achievements", 7 (18.4%) of the respondents had the first degree of emo- tional burnout, 8 (21.1%) – the second degree, and 4 (10.5%) – the third degree. It should be noted that the teaching experience of all 4 (100.0%) respondents with the third degree of emotional burnout was over 20 years. Conclusions. Emotional burnout poses a threat to both personal and professional develop- ment, as well as mental and somatic health. Teaching experience is directly proportional to the increase in the degree of emotional burnout. The prevention of emotional burnout symptoms should be comprehensive, psychological, and organisational, aimed at correcting mental health disorders and, if necessary, improving the psychological climate in the team, optimising the tea- cher's work.