The Relationship between Job Stress and Job Burnout among Primary Health Care Workers (Behvarz) at Saveh University of Medical Sciences

Due to having multiple tasks in ensuring the health of patients, primary healthcare workers are under many stresses that may lead to job burnout. The present study aims to determine the relationship between occupational stress and job burnout of primary healthcare workers. 

This descriptive, correlational study was conducted in 2019 on 128 primary healthcare workers in Saveh and Zarandieh cities, who were selected by a census method. Data was collected by a demographic form, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), and Spielberger’s job stress survey (JSS). Descriptive statistics were used to describe the data, and independent t-test, analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation test were used to analyze data in SPSS software, version 18.

The mean score of JSS was 140.7±48.6, which was lower the median score (150). The mean frequency score was 23.43±8.3 for the MBI dimension of emotional exhaustion, 17±4.78 for depersonalization, and 14.43±6.74 for personal accomplishment. Occupational stress had a positive and significant relationship with the frequency of emotional exhaustion (r=0.59, P<0.001) and depersonalization (r=0.22, P<0.001), and a negative and significant relationship with the frequency of personal accomplishment (r=-0.47, P<0.001). This indicates that with the increase of occupational stress, the frequency of job burnout in two dimensions of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization increases, while the frequency of personal accomplishment decreases.

Primary healthcare workers in the study region have moderate occupational stress and a high level of job burnout in the areas of depersonalization and personal accomplishment. Considering the high level of job burnout and its relationship with occupational stress in these healthcare workers, and the fact that these factors can have a negative impact on the quality of healthcare services, it is necessary to carry out necessary interventions to reduce and manage occupational stress and job burnout of primary healthcare workers.