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Publisher: Peytchinski Publishing Ltd.
ISSN: 1312-773X (Online)
Issue: 2023, vol. 29, issue3
Subject Area: Public Health
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DOI: 10.5272/jimab.2023293.5057
Published online: 24 August 2023
Original article
J of IMAB. 2023 Jul-Sep;29(3):5057-5061
THE BURNOUT LEVEL AMONG HEALTH INSPECTORS - A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS BEFORE AND DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN BULGARIA
Yana Tosheva
, Tsvetelina Tarpomanova
, Antoaneta Tsvetkova, Silvia Mihaylova,
Medical College, Medical University - Varna, Bulgaria.
ABSTRACT:
The coronavirus pandemic has put unprecedented pressure on the healthcare system of Bulgaria, especially in the context of the shortage of professionals such as public health inspectors. As a result, additional obligations were added to their routines which increased their workload and put them at risk of developing burnout.
Purpose: To study the level of burnout among public health inspectors before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and to make a comparative analysis of the results in view of the inspectors’ increased workload in the time of the pandemic.
Materials and methods: Three studies of public health inspectors from the system of the Regional Health Inspectorate were conducted: two burnout studies using the Maslach Burnout Inventory in 2019 and 2021 (respectively of 62 and 61 persons) and a questionnaire survey of 116 subjects in 2020-2021 on the workload level.
Results: During the pandemic, a considerable increase in the values of the three questionnaire aspects was observed. The highest level of emotional exhaustion was reported in the 31-44 age group with work experience of 11-20 years (88%), whereas the highest level of depersonalization and the lowest of personal accomplishment were identified in the over 55 age group (50% and 92%). In 2019 around 38.7 % of health inspectors were at a high risk of burnout, while in 2021, the number increased to 73.7%.
Conclusions: During the pandemic, the share of health inspectors at risk of burnout has significantly increased. Therefore, early intervention and prevention of the syndrome are needed.
Keywords: workload, burnout, public health inspectors, COVID-19,
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Please cite this article as: Tosheva Y, Tarpomanova T, Tsvetkova A, Mihaylova S. The burnout level among health inspectors - a comparative analysis before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria. J of IMAB. 2023 Jul-Sep;29(3):5057-5061. [Crossref - 10.5272/jimab.2023293.5057]
Correspondence to: Assoc. prof. Tsvetelina Tarpomanova, MD, PhD, Medical College, Medical University – Varna; 84, Tsar Osvoboditel Str., Varna, Bulgaria; E-mail: tsvetelina.tarpomanova@mu-varna.bg
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Received: 03 February 2023
Published online: 24 August 2023