Psychologists highlight burnout syndrome can be dangerous; health personnel are more exposed
SANTO DOMINGO. -The burnout syndrome or work exhaustion is a real, important and dangerous issue. At present, due to the health situation, health personnel are the ones who go through this scenario more than anyone else.
This was understood by the psychologist Denisse Vallejo, who also stated that safe scenarios must be created so that the caregiver feels cared for and is given permission to be human. "The most exposed professionals are those who have chosen a profession by vocation such as teachers, nurses and doctors, the latter are more exposed by fatigue and the scene of their profession."
During the discussion "The syndrome of work exhaustion or burnout in health personnel in times of COVID-19", organized by the Master's Degree in Clinical and Health Psychology of the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), Vallejo highlighted that burnout is a response to chronic work stress, made up of negative attitudes and feelings towards co-workers and the professional role.
In 2019 was when the World Health Organization recognized burnout as a disease and it will be in 2022 that it will enter the International Classification of Diseases. Due to this, Vallejo highlights that "beyond seeing it as work laziness, burnout will be understood as a disease that affects the person at work and personal level."
Vallejo emphasized that within the physical symptoms that it produces are fatigue, insomnia, headaches, tachycardia, gastrointestinal disorders, risks of coronary heart disease, and on a psychological level there are anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, rigidity, a feeling of failure and absenteeism from work.
For his part, the psychotherapist Ricardo de la Cruz Gil, presented results of the Global Burnout Trends 2020 study, which reflected that 95% of human resources leaders say that employee burnout is sabotaging their workforce.
“52% have implemented emotional health programs, with information on stress management, conferences on anxiety management, relaxation practices and techniques, among others. Meanwhile, 63% feel that they are at risk of suffering professional burnout or burnout ”, highlighted de la Cruz.
In his opinion, the main psychosocial factor that generates chronic stress is the conflict of balancing work and family life, and the crisis caused by the new coronavirus has increased professional burnout or burnout syndrome.
"We need a new way of running the organization, a new human resources policy that is aligned with these changes from the face-to-face world to a self-organized virtual world."
The doctor stressed that policies and procedures must be established to prevent burnout.
Occupational medicine
Rosio Rymer, an expert in occupational medicine, explained that from occupational health a reality that is faced within the organization is dealing with behavior and the balance of the emotional and physical part, which can be lost due to exposure to the factors of psychosocial risks that destabilize the emotional part of the worker.
"Burnout syndrome affects individuals, groups and organizations, so we must focus any program to ensure that safety and health at work have a comprehensive way of presenting themselves," said Rymer.
He stressed that the treatment of burnout syndrome from the point of view of occupational health will be focused depending on the level of affection of the individual, although he said that it will always be psychotherapeutic, seeking measures of motivation and self-perception.
Regarding prevention in the group part, he stressed that the development of relationships of mutual support should be encouraged, fostering spaces for coexistence, developing codes of good practices that promote respect and care and developing work skills.
About the master's degree in Clinical and Health Psychology
The master's degree in Clinical and Health Psychology taught at INTEC aims to offer advanced training of a specialized and interdisciplinary nature, oriented towards professional practice and research, in the fields of health psychology, clinical psychology and human health management.
Graduates of the master's degree have the skills to integrate into the process of change in the health sector, through the implementation of the bio-psychosocial paradigm and the autonomist model. They are also specialists in clinical and health aspects.