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Work-Related Suicide Exposure, Occupational Burnout, and Coping in Emergency Medical Services Personnel in Poland.

ABSTRACT: Work-related suicide exposure may significantly contribute to the risk of burnout in first responders. This study assessed the exposure to suicide, burnout, and coping mechanisms in emergency medical services in Poland, including psychosocial determinants, such as age, gender, and access to psychological support. The level of burnout was assessed using the Link Burnout Questionnaire (LBQ), and coping was measured using the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS). Data were analysed using a series of variance analyses and a partial least squares structural equation modelling. The study showed that 98% of emergency medical services personnel reported work-related suicide exposure. The LBQ score indicated symptoms of burnout, in particular relational deterioration, and the CISS showed low levels of emotion-oriented coping. Physicians reported higher levels of psycho-physical exhaustion than paramedics and nurses. Access to psychological support in the workplace was related to lower levels of burnout. Emergency medical services personnel are frequently exposed to suicide, which may be related to the risk of occupational burnout, and coping strategies used in this occupational group are often not optimal. Preventive measures, such as training emergency medical services personnel in regard to effective coping strategies, are needed, and personnel should be encouraged to access mental health services and supports.

SUBMITTER: Witczak-Bloszyk K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8835152 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:ObjectiveAlthough burnout has been linked to negative workplace-level effects, prior studies have primarily focused on individuals rather than job-related characteristics. This study sought to evaluate variation in burnout between agencies and to quantify the relationship between burnout and job-related demands/resources among emergency medical services (EMS) professionals.MethodsAn electronic questionnaire was sent to all licensed, practicing EMS professionals in South Carolina. Work-related burnout was measured using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Multivariable generalized estimating equations were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for specific job demands and resources while adjusting for confounding variables. Composite scores were used to simultaneously assess the relationship between burnout and job-related demands and resources.ResultsAmong 1271 EMS professionals working at 248 EMS agencies, the median agency-level burnout was 35% (interquartile range [IQR]: 13% to 50%). Job-related demands, including time pressure, were associated with increased burnout. Traditional job-related resources, including pay and benefits, were associated with reduced burnout. Less tangible job resources, including autonomy, clinical performance feedback, social support, and adequate training demonstrated strong associations with reduced burnout. EMS professionals facing high job demands and low job resources demonstrated nearly a 10-fold increase in odds of burnout compared with those exposed to low demands and high resources (adjusted OR [aOR]: 9.50, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.39-14.10). High job resources attenuated the impact of high job demands.ConclusionThe proportion of EMS professionals experiencing burnout varied substantially across EMS agencies. Job resources, including those reflective of organizational culture, were associated with reduced burnout. Collectively, these findings suggest an opportunity to address burnout at the EMS agency level.

Project description:IntroductionVery little quantitative data on occupational burnout and exposure to critical incidents are available from contemporary United States emergency medical services (EMS) cohorts. Given that burnout has been associated positively with turnover intentions and absenteeism in EMS workers, studies that uncover correlates of burnout may be integral to combating growing concerns around retention in the profession.MethodsWe administered a 167-item electronic survey that included the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and a modified version of the Critical Incident History Questionnaire (n=29 incident types) to paramedics, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), and dispatchers of a single ambulance service. We defined the presence of burnout as a high score on either the emotional exhaustion or depersonalization subscales of the MBI.ResultsSurvey respondents who provided regular 911 response at the time of the survey and completed the MBI portion of the survey were included in our analysis (190 paramedics/EMTs, 19 dispatchers; 54% response). The overall prevalence of burnout was 18%, with prevalence reaching 32% among dispatchers. The seven pediatric critical incident types presented in the survey accounted for seven of the top eight rated most difficult to cope with, and severity ratings for pediatric critical incidents did not differ by parental status (all p>0.30). A significant number of respondents reported that they had been threatened with a gun/weapon (43%) or assaulted by a patient (68%) at least once while on duty. Being over the age of 50, a parent, or in a committed relationship was associated with reduced odds of burnout in unadjusted models; however, these associations did not remain statistically significant in multivariate analysis. Increasing tertile of career exposure to critical incidents was not associated with burnout.ConclusionMedical dispatchers may be an EMS subgroup particularly susceptible to burnout. These data also demonstrate quantitatively that in this EMS agency, responders find pediatric critical incidents especially distressing and that violence against responders is commonplace. In this study, a simple measure of career exposure to potentially critical incidents was not associated with burnout; however, individual reactions to incidents are heterogeneous, and assessment tools that more accurately enumerate encounters that result in distress are needed.

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Work-Related Suicide Exposure, Occupational Burnout, and Coping in Emergency Medical Services Personnel in Poland.

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