Work-related burnout among personnel at a university hospital: identifying quantitative and qualitative differences using latent class analysis.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Burnout among hospital personnel is frequent and has impacts on the quality of care. Monitoring is important, but there is a lack of specificity for individual patterns of burnout syndromes. AIMS: This study aimed to identify specific burnout profiles in a hospital setting. METHOD: Using job satisfaction data from a survey of 4793 hospital personnel, we performed a latent class analysis on the work-related items of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI). Total burnout score, job satisfaction and work-related variables were compared across classes. RESULTS: Five latent work-related burnout profiles were revealed, including a high-risk class (9.5% of participants) and two classes with similar total CBI scores a high-fatigue class (6%), including young administrative personnel who reported less pleasure at work but a better work-life balance, and an emotional-exhaustion class (13.1%), including older healthcare personnel who were more satisfied at work and could use their skills appropriately. Finally, personnel in the high-risk class were younger healthcare professionals, reporting lower job satisfaction, poorer working conditions and less respect from their direct hierarchy. CONCLUSIONS: The risk and type of burnout depended on personnel's characteristics and their social and work environments. Tailored interventions should be used to address these different profiles.