Abstract

Background: Burnout is an emerging issue worldwide that has become an increasingly common phenomenon at health organizations, especially among primary health care physicians.

Objective: The study aimed to examine the level of burnout among primary care physicians, and its related risk factors in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 211 health care physicians whose data was gathered using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). MBI consists of 9 items categorized into three subscales: emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and personal achievement (PA). High EE and DP scores and the corresponding low PA scores were considered to be indicative of high levels of burnout.

Results: The overall prevalence of high levels of burnout among primary care physicians in Bahrain was 41.2%. A total of 97.1% of participants showed signs of increased DP, whereas 45.9% were emotionally exhausted. Surprisingly, 82.6% scored low in terms of PA. Risk factors such as age, gender, nationality, marital, and professional status were significantly associated with EE, which was further exacerbated in patients who skipped appointments, had lengthy consultations, or had difficulties with i-seha ande-filing. Increased DP and low PA among physicians were notably linked to their financial income and professional status. Overwhelming delays and demands of patients also contributed to a sense of low PA.

Conclusion: The results of this study represent the current rate of burnout experienced by physicians and indicate the potential health crisis that may ensue if this phenomenon is left unaddressed.

Keywords: Depersonalization; Prevalence; Primary care physicians; Professional burnout; Risk factors