Factors associated with burnout among healthcare workers in a Singaporean hospital during the post-COVID era

Background: This study aimed to investigate factors associated with burnout among healthcare workers (HCWs) in a tertiary hospital in Singapore.

Methods: All HCWs from the Singapore General Hospital were invited to participate in a survey using a secure online platform. Participant demographic data were collected. Instruments used included the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire-4, a brief form of the Perceived Social Support Questionnaire, the Demand-Control-Support Questionnaire, and the Leisure Time Satisfaction Scale.

Results: Of 9888 staff, 742 (7.5%) responded. The mean OLBI score was 43.7, whereas the mean exhaustion subscale score was 22.5 and the mean disengagement subscale score was 21.2. Of the participants, 53.6% and 50.0% met the cut-off values for disengagement and exhaustion, respectively. In the linear regression analysis, those aged 20 to 29 years had higher OLBI scores than those aged ≥40 years (ß = 1.88, p = 0.001). Higher OLBI scores were associated with higher Patient Health Questionnaire-4 scores (ß = 0.52, p < 0.001), including the subscales of anxiety (ß = 0.30, p = 0.038) and depression (ß = 0.70, p < 0.001), lower scores for resilience (ß = -0.20, p < 0.001), particularly in the subscales of self-efficacy (ß = -0.37, p = 0.018) and cognitive focus (ß = -1.02, p < 0.001), higher psychological demand subscale scores (ß = 0.62, p < 0.001) and lower decision latitude subscale scores (ß = -0.33, p < 0.001) and lower social support subscale scores (ß = -0.47, p < 0.001), and lower Leisure Time Satisfaction Scale score (ß = -0.55, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Among HCWs in a Singaporean hospital, burnout was associated with age <40 years, the presence of anxiety and depressive symptoms, low resilience, high psychological demands and low decision latitude and social support, and low leisure time satisfaction.