Relationship between socio-descriptive characteristics, burnout syndrome, and quality of life of employees

Introduction

Burnout syndrome develops as a consequence of chronic stress among employees. The study objective was to examine what socio-descriptive characteristics of employees might be associated with the appearance of the occupational burnout and to evaluate the relationship between job burnout and the quality of life among security employees of the professional private security sector in Central Serbia.

Methods

A multicenter cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was performed. A multivariate logistic regression analysis and ANOVA post choc test was applied.

Results

A total of 353 respondents (330 male and 23 female) participated in the study. Female sex and older age were associated with a higher risk of total burnout and the development of emotional exhaustion while male sex, higher education, and managerial position were associated with higher personal achievement and lower risk of total burnout. Male sex, marital union, two or more children, and direct contact with clients were significantly associated with a lower quality of life of employees. A significant negative correlation was found between total burnout and the Physical Health Composite Score (PHC) score with a correlation coefficient (rs) of -0.265 (95%CI from -0.361 to -0.163); between total burnout and the and Mental Health Composite Score (MHC) score with a rs of -0.391 (95%CI from -0.480 to -0.301); and between total burnout and TQL score with a rs of -0.351 (95%CI from -0.445 to -0.258).

Conclusion

Female sex and older age were associated with a higher risk of total burnout and the development of EE while a managerial position and higher education were protective factors in relation to the development of burnout. Male sex, marital union, two or more children, and direct contact with clients were significantly associated with a lower quality of life of the employees. Shift work significantly reduced the total quality of life, while managerial positions increased the quality of life.

Mental health status and coping strategies during COVID-19 pandemic among university students in Central Serbia

Background

The objective of this research was to evaluate the occurrence of depression, anxiety, and stress, as well as the level of life contentment and coping mechanisms employed by college students amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A total of 588 students of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the Higher School of Medicine, Kraljevo, University of Kragujevac, Central Serbia, participated in an online cross-sectional survey in the period September-October 2022. Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) was used to measure the levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. The Coping Questionnaire-a shorter version (Brief Cope Inventories) assesses the coping strategies a person uses in stressful situations, and the 5-item Life Satisfaction Scale is used to examine the level of life satisfaction.

Results

The symptoms of depression were reported by 34.9%, of anxiety by 47.1% and of stress by 44.2%. The type of faculty (p = 0.001), and place of residence (p = 0.036) correlated with depression, gender with anxiety (p = 0.001) and stress (p = 0.015). In terms of coping mechanisms, the most frequently mentioned strategies, based on average scores, were acceptance (5.76), positive interpretation (5.55), humor (5.46).

Conclusion

The adverse impact of COVID-19 was a risk factor for depression, anxiety and stress symptoms. A negative correlation exists between the levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, and the overall life satisfaction of university students. Offering the necessary assistance through psychological interventions and effective coping techniques is crucial in ensuring the optimal mental health of university students.