Latent Occupational Burnout Profiles of Working Women

Abstract

According to scientific research, emergency call-takers and dispatchers (ECD) are particularly vulnerable to burnout syndrome. It can be observed that this occupation is predominantly performed by women. Moreover, the studies on occupational burnout indicate its different causes depending on employees’ gender. The aim of this research was to apply a Person-Oriented approach in order to examine the relationships between particular risk factors, the level of burnout, and its health consequences in a group of women. A cross-sectional survey study was conducted on 296 women (call-takers and dispatchers) from public-safety answering points in Poland. The Link Burnout Questionnaire and a sociodemographic questionnaire were used to gather information. The method of latent profile analysis (LPA) was employed in the study. The study revealed burnout patterns without full symptoms as well as four different burnout profiles. The findings partially confirmed initial assumptions about correlations between the length of service as ECD, marital status, motherhood, burnout symptoms, and body mass index (BMI). Sociodemographic variables differentiated the examined women in terms of their emotional exhaustion and BMI. Three groups of women at risk of burnout and overweight were identified: those with the shortest job experience, those with the longest job experience, and an intermediate group. In each of these groups, symptoms indicating a possible risk of burnout-related health issues could be observed. The application of a Person-Oriented approach allowed for assessing possible correlations between burnout risk factors, its symptoms, and health consequences.