The Association of Life Events Outside the Workplace and Burnout: A Cross-Sectional Study on Nursing Assistants

Mariana Tortorelli, Telma Ramos Trigo, Renata Bolibio, Camila Colás Sabino de Freitas, Floracy Gomes Ribeiro, Mara Cristina Souza de Lucia, Dan V. Iosifescu and Renério Fráguas
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Mariana Tortorelli: Grupo de Interconsulta, Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-903, Brazil
Telma Ramos Trigo: Grupo de Interconsulta, Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-903, Brazil
Renata Bolibio: Divisão de Psicologia, Instituto Central Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
Camila Colás Sabino de Freitas: Grupo de Interconsulta, Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-903, Brazil
Floracy Gomes Ribeiro: Gabinete do Secretário, Secretaria de Estado da Saúde de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, Brazil
Mara Cristina Souza de Lucia: Divisão de Psicologia, Instituto Central Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
Dan V. Iosifescu: Clinical Research Division, The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research Orangeburg, New York, NY 10962, USA
Renério Fráguas: Laboratório de Neuroimagem (LIM-21), Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-903, Brazil

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 15, 1-13

Abstract: Background: Burnout, by definition, is related to adverse chronic workplace stressors. Life events outside the workplace have been associated with an increased risk of psychiatric morbidity. However, it is unknown whether life events outside the workplace increase the severity of burnout. Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate the association between burnout and life events outside the workplace in nursing assistants. Methods: In an observational, cross-sectional, single-site study of 521 nursing assistants at a university hospital, we assessed burnout with the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey, and life events with the Social Readjustment Rating Scale. We constructed equations of multiple linear regression analyses that included each burnout subscale as the dependent variable and a domain of life events as the independent variable. Results were adjusted for potential confounders, including gender, no religion or faith, years of work, and depression. Results: An increase in the number of life events in the domain of personal changes or difficulties (e.g., personal injury or illness, sexual difficulties, change in recreation, church activities, social activities, sleeping habits, eating habits and revision of personal habits) was associated with increased severity of emotional exhaustion. An increase in the number of life events in the domain of changes in familial situation and in the domains of death of relatives or friends were associated with increased severity of depersonalization. Those associations were independent of work-related life events and other potential confounders. Conclusions: Life events outside the workplace may increase the levels of burnout in nursing assistants.

Keywords: burnout; Maslach Burnout Inventory; life events; stress; depression; nursing assistants (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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