Burnout and its relationship with work-related factors among occupational therapists working in public sector in Turkey

Background: Burnout is an important and challenging issue in occupational therapists as in other health care professions. Aims/Objectives: The study aimed to identify burnout and its relationship with job satisfaction, work engagement and working conditions among occupational therapists in Turkey. Material and methods: The study included 50 occupational therapists working in public sector. The Burnout Measure, the Minnesota Job Satisfaction Questionnaire, and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale were used as measurement tools. Working conditions were measured by a questionnaire specifically designed for this study. Results: The findings indicated that 26% of the participants had burnout symptoms and 38% were at risk. Negative relationships were found between burnout and working conditions, extrinsic and overall job satisfaction, vigour and dedication. Working conditions and dedication were the most influential factors of burnout among these variables and together accounted for 43.1% of the variance. A moderate negative relationship was found between burnout and two items of working conditions (facilitative management structure and opportunities to improve skills) and those together predicted 39% of the variance for burnout.

Automated summary

The study found that a significant proportion of occupational therapists in Turkey have burnout symptoms or are at risk. Working conditions, extrinsic and overall job satisfaction, as well as vigor and dedication, are important factors influencing burnout.