Background: Emergency physicians (EPs) are exposed to various stressors that lead to burnout. No studies to date have examined these factors in the emergency departments (EDs) of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Objective: The study aims to identify the prevalence rates, associated variables, and predictors for burnout and stress among EPs in Bahrain's EDs.
Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 134 EPs working in the ED of 3 major tertiary hospitals completed an electronic survey, which included the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory and Stress Overload Scale-Short Form.
Results: The survey had a response rate of 86.7% (n = 116). EPs reported a prevalence rate of 81.0% for personal burnout, 69.8% for work-related burnout, and 40.5% for patient-related burnout. Approximately 23.9% EPs were at high risk for illness. Our measures illustrated that higher personal, work-related, and patient-related burnout was associated with higher personal vulnerability, event load, and stress overload. Other contributing factors for burnout and stress were being female, Bahraini, Chief Resident or Consultant, working >50 hours per week, taking at least one sick leave in the last year. Experiencing sleep disturbances and workplace violence were all contributing factors to higher burnout and stress levels.
Conclusions: The prevalence of burnout and stress among EPs in Bahrain is high and reflects a significant problem. Several demographic and occupational factors are closely related to burnout and stress, and need to be addressed to higher authorities in order to implement protective measures.
Key words: Emergency Physician, burnout, stress overload, Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, physician well-being, Bahrain
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