Burnout and its Psychological Effect among Health Professionals at Selected Military and Police Hospitals in Khartoum State, Sudan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69993/2026.4.1.en2Keywords:
Burnout · Emotional exhaustion · Depersonalization · Personal accomplishment · Maslach Burnout InventoryAbstract
BACKGROUND
Burnout is a psychological syndrome resulting from prolonged work-related stress, characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. It negatively affects healthcare professionals’ well-being and quality of patient care. This study aimed to assess burnout levels and their psychological effects among health professionals in trauma and emergency departments at selected Military andPolice hospitals in Khartoum State, Sudan.
METHODS
A descriptive cross-sectional hospital-based study was conducted in 2022 among 130 healthcare professionals (78 nurses and 52 doctors) working in emergency departments at the selected Military and Police hospitals. Participants were selected using a stratified random sampling technique. Burnout was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), a validated psychometric instrument measuring emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests.
RESULTS
Emotional exhaustion was predominantly moderate in most participants (44.6%), while depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment showed high burnout in 85.4% and 91.5% of participants, respectively. The overall prevalence of high burnout was 88.4%. Specialty was significantly associated with burnout levels (p = 0.017), with nurses reporting higher burnout than doctors, however, other socio-demographic and work-related factors, including work experience, were not significantly associated with burnout.
CONCLUSION
Nurses and doctors in emergency departments of Military and Police hospitals in Khartoum State, Sudan (2022) exhibited high levels of burnout, particularly in depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment. Specialty was significantly associated with burnout, underscoring the urgent need for targeted interventions to reduce workload, provide psychological support, and improve healthcare professionals’ well-being.
