Burnout and work-related stress of occupational therapists in Bangladesh- cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Work-related stress occurs when a person cannot fulfil the expectation or inability to take responsibility for work. Eventually, chronic workplace stress can cause burnout. Evidence suggests that occupational therapists are susceptible to burnout as they face high cognitive demands in their job, the complexity of the practice environment and the impact of the sociodemographic status. However, as evidence is scarce, the prevalence and severity of burnout among occupational therapists in Bangladesh still need to be discovered. Aim: The aim of this study was to find out the degree of burnout and level of work-related stress. Methods: The study followed a cross-sectional quantitative study design. Data were collected through a face-to-face survey among 146 participants through Copenhagen Burnout Inventory and Workplace Stress Scale. SPSS 26 version was used to conduct the descriptive analysis. The chi-square test was done to find out the association and Pearson and Spearman’s correlation test was done to find out the correlation between burnout, work-related stress and sociodemographic status. Result: The findings showed that the female (63.7%) response rate was higher than the male (36.3%). 36.3% of participants reported personal burnout, 47.9% of participants reported work-related burnout and 45.2% of participants reported client-related burnout. 55% of participants reported work-related stress. Participants who were young (24-29y) reported mostly burnout. Females were more burnout and stressed than males. On the other xiii hand, participants who were single were more personally burnout than married occupational therapists. Participants who work in the rehabilitation centre and special school were found more burnout than the others. A relationship was observed between burnout and workplace-related stress. Conclusion: This study finds out the prevalence of burnout and the level of stress of occupational therapists working in Bangladesh. The study also contributes to a gross understanding of the status of sociodemographic and occupational therapists. This study's findings on burnout and stress underline the importance of having a strategy to cope with it and developing awareness among occupational therapists in Bangladesh. Keywords: Burnout, Work-related stress, Occupational therapy, Personal burnout, Work-related burnout, Client-related burnout.