Burnout Syndrome: Therapeutic Approach With Beneficial Effects on Personality and Quality of Life.

ABSTRACT

CONTEXT The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined burnout syndrome (BOS) as resulting from chronic workplace stress that hasn't been successfully managed. Until now, BOS has been treated using allopathic drugs and psychotherapy because it has been confused with major depressive syndrome. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to examine the effectiveness of hypnotherapy combined with cognitive-behavioral therapy in changing the personality traits and lifestyles of people in professions vulnerable to stress who have developed BOS. DESIGN: The research team designed a one-group pre-and posttest study. SETTING: The study was conducted in a private-practice office in Targu Mures, Romania. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 30 patients at the private practice who had been diagnosed with BOS and volunteered to participate in the study. INTERVENTION The study alternated hypnotherapy sessions with psychological-counseling sessions, using a general therapeutic plan for all patients and customizing the plan for each participant. OUTCOME MEASURES: The study measured participants' BOS symptomatology and personality dimensions using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), the DECAS Personality Inventory, the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID5), and the Survey of Work Styles (SWS). RESULTS: Significant changes occurred between baseline an postintervention in the dimensions of extraversion, agreeability, and emotional stability as well as impatience, anger, work involvement, time urgency, job dissatisfaction, and competitiveness. Significant differences existed in almost all personality traits evaluated with the PID-5 (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of hypnotherapy and psychological counseling can treat BOS, increasing patients' quality of life by decreasing negative personality traits. The present study is important because it proposes a new therapeutic approach to BOS.