Burnout as a Mediator in the Relationship between Work-Life Balance and Empathy in Healthcare Professionals

Objective This cross-sectional study aimed to 1) explore the relationships among work-life balance (WLB), burnout, and empathy and 2) investigate the roles of the subtypes of burnout relating to WLB and empathy. Methods A total of 105 health care professionals from a general hospital in Seoul were assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory, Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy, and a one-sentence-question on subjective WLB. Multiple questions on psychiatric problems, including sleep problems, anxiety, depressive symptom, and alcohol problems, were also included. Results In the mediation analyses, personal achievement was considered as a potential mediating variable between WLB and empathy. The direct effect (beta=3.93, 95% CI: 1.21-6.64) and the indirect effect (beta=1.95, 95% CI: 0.52-3.76) of WLB on empathy were also significant. Conclusion Interventions encouraging personal achievement may help mitigate burnout of health professionals.