Cross-sectional study of the association between burnout and work overload and work-life imbalance among medical personnel in Liaoning, China: role of specialty

Objectives Burnout is common among medical personnel in China and may be related to excessive and persistent work-related stressors by different specialties. The aims of this study were to assess the prevalence of burnout, work overload and work-life imbalance according to different specialties and to explore the effect of specialty, work overload and work-life imbalance on burnout among medical personnel. Design A cross-sectional study. Setting This study was conducted in 1 tertiary general public hospital, 2 secondary general hospitals and 10 community health service stations in Liaoning, China. Participants A total of 3299 medical personnel participated in the study. Methods We used the 15-item Chinese version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey (MBI-GS) to measure burnout. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to explore the association between medical specialty, work overload, work-life imbalance and burnout. Results 3299 medical personnel were included in this study. The prevalence of burnout, severe burnout, work overload and work-life imbalance were 88.7%, 13.6%, 23.4% and 23.2%, respectively. Compared with medical personnel in internal medicine, working in obstetrics and gynaecology (OR=0.61, 95% CI 0.38, 0.99) and management (OR=0.45, 95% CI 0.28, 0.72) was significantly associated with burnout, and working in ICU （Intensive Care Unit）(OR=2.48, 95% CI 1.07, 5.73), surgery (OR=1.66, 95% CI 1.18, 2.35) and paediatrics (OR=0.24, 95% CI 0.07, 0.81) was significantly associated with severe burnout. Work overload and work-life imbalance were associated with higher ORs for burnout (OR=1.64, 95% CI 1.16, 2.32; OR=2.79, 95% CI 1.84, 4.24) and severe burnout (OR=4.33, 95% CI 3.43, 5.46; OR=3.35, 95% CI 2.64, 4.24). Conclusions Burnout, work overload and work-life imbalance were prevalent among Chinese medical personnel but varied considerably by clinical specialty. Burnout may be reduced by decreasing work overload and promoting work-life balance across different specialties.