Milan Kuchta, Zlatica Ďurošková
Introduction. The burn-out syndrome occurs most frequently in the group of occupations, where the main content of the work is the contact with people. In the year 1974, an American psychologist Freudenberg described this syndrome as a status of exhaustion and depersonalization, which leads to the decline of work efficacy. Signs of the syndrome also manifest in the physical, emotional and mental sphere, can be very various, develop gradually and so can be ‘hidden’”.
Doctors (including paediatricians) are a distinctly risky group of people for the development of the burn-out syndrome,
and that may develop in any of them.
The work aims to warn about this syndrome of complex signs, which can significantly influence also work activity and
personal life of a doctor. To detect the incidence of the syndrome in a pilot research in a specific group of doctors – paediatricians.
Results: Paediatricians in the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic are, according to our pilot study, afflicted by the
burn-out syndrome in almost 34%. As the most important parts of the burn-out syndrome there is manifested emotional
exhaustion in 26%, depersonalisation in 34% and lowered personal satisfaction in 16%.
Discussion. The syndrome leads not only to the loss of the interest in work and surrounding, escape to fantasy, to alternative
programmes (e.g. buying of useless things), but as chronic stress can induce functional disorders of the digestive,
cardiovascular and nervous system. However, it is ideal to avoid this complex condition. E.g. with rest, off-time
activities, hobbies, contacts with other people out of their doctoral profession. For a successful therapy, it is important
to know the symptoms of the burn-out syndrome.
Conclusion. For the paediatrics, prevention is typical, and so it is necessary to utilise it also in this field. The development
of the burn-out syndrome also afflicts paediatricians and influences not only working performance but also a particular
doctor, his approach to patients, but also the healthcare system itself.