Burnout and Depression among Employees of Psychiatric Services: Causes and Strategies for Overcoming Them (according to Experts)

The purpose of this article was to analyze the causes of burnout and depression symptoms among
workers in the fi eld of mental health and highlight strategies for overcoming them (according to
experts), as well as to study the level of happiness at the workplace. The study involved 86 mental
health professionals. A survey was conducted on a specially designed questionnaire, consisting
of 18 questions structured into 4 clusters. It was found that a signifi cant part of the respondents
(59.3%) noted burnout symptoms that negatively aff ected work and relationships with colleagues.
The main factors that contributed to this were low wages (65.1%) and heavy workloads (34.9%). A
quarter of mental health workers said they thought about changing their profession. A moderate
and direct relationship between burnout symptoms and thoughts about changing profession
(r=0.6) was revealed. Respondents with burnout symptoms were much more likely to have suicidal
thoughts (23.5%), with the highest rates among interns with the degree in psychiatry and general
practitioners (33.3% each). A moderate and direct relationship was revealed between the symptoms
of burnout and the presence of suicidal thoughts (r=0.6). Almost half of the interviewed doctors did
not report their presence to anyone. Only a fi fth of respondents with symptoms of burnout and
depression sought professional help, a signifi cant part of the total number of doctors (60.8%) did
not plan and do not plan to seek help. Almost half (47,.1%) of mental health workers with burnout
symptoms rarely felt happy at the workplace. We found that burnout symptoms have a direct and
strong relationship with a low level of happiness at the workplace (r=0.8). Among the strategies for
overcoming burnout and depression, according to health workers, the best one is to facilitate the
working process – 57.0%. The results of the study can be used in the development of measures for
psychocorrection and prevention of burnout and depression symptoms among workers in the fi eld
of mental health.