Il burn-out: Aspetti quantitativi e caratteristiche di personalità. Una ricerca

Objective. The aim of the present work is to apply Golembiewski's phasic model to a population of healthcare workers of the Piedmont Region, and to find specific correlations between this model and demographic factors, job characteristics, and the Psychological Types, according to C.G. Jung's theory. Methods. 109 healthcare workers, employed in Outpatient Clinics, Drug Addiction Services and an Infectious Disease hospital division, participated in the study on a voluntary basis. The protocol included a survey, aimed to collect personal data and information regarding job satisfaction, Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Results. Data shows that introvert subjects had higher rates of Emotional Exhaustion than extroverted ones. Regarding the quantitative aspects of burnout, it should be pointed out that the most represented phases, according to Golembiewski's model, were the 1st, the 3rd and the 7th. Demographic and personality features of the subjects belonging to these phases were analysed. Workers in phase 7 were less satisfied with the organisation of their job place and showed a stronger desire to confront with their colleagues. Conclusions. Burnout syndrome appears to be a complex and multiform phenomenon, related both to the type of job and workplace, and to individual characteristics.