Professional burnout in healthcare workers: signs, causes, prevention and treatment

Introduction. The article provides a review and analysis of scientifi c works on the issue of professional burnout in healthcare workers. The two important indicators of the health organization’s effi ciency are the prevention of professional burnout in healthcare workers and the quality of provided medical care. This review aims to analyze the available scientifi c information and summarize the data on preventive measures to prevent professional burnout in healthcare workers. Methods. The full-text articles published in the databases E-Library, CrossRef, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were analyzed to systematize the data on measures aimed at preventing professional burnout in healthcare workers. Moreover, a couple of earlier publications of historical interest were analyzed as well. Results. The core symptoms and factors that trigger professional burnout in healthcare workers were analyzed, including doctors, dealing with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and military physicians. Both its causes and consequences were determined. Professional burnout can be described as a combination of psychosomatic and somatic disorders, as well as symptoms of social dysfunction. Preventive measures against professional burnout have to cover a wide range of causes and include various treatment tools. Meanwhile, determining the exact causes of professional burnout in healthcare workers should become the top priority direction. Conclusion. Methodologically sound studies of professional burnout in healthcare workers should be fi nanced. If the issue of professional burnout prevention is not resolved at the state level, it will jeopardize the sustainability of the entire healthcare system’s functioning.