Background: The World Health Organization’s recent recognition of burnout as an “occupational phenomenon” underscores its significance in healthcare settings. Ophthalmologists, in particular, face a heightened risk of burnout, which can have grave implications for patients, healthcare peers, and organizations. This study investigates the mental health and burnout levels of ophthalmologists in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Riyadh’s multiple hospitals, utilizing a questionnaire with three sections: demographics, mental health assessment (using depression anxiety stress scales-21), and burnout evaluation (using Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey). Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences.
Results: Mental health assessments revealed varying degrees of depression (40.0% no depression, 17.5% mild, 23.8% moderate, and 18.8% severe), anxiety (31.9% no anxiety, 10.6% mild, 21.9% moderate, and 35.6% severe), and stress (15.0% mild, 14.4% moderate, and 10.0% severe). Burnout levels indicated 43.8% with low depersonalization, 17.5% with moderate, and 38.8% with high levels. The overall burnout prevalence was 32.5%, with 67.5% not experiencing burnout. Burnout was more prevalent among ophthalmologists with 6-10 years’ of experience compared to those with ≤5 years. On-call duties did not significantly impact burnout prevalence.
Conclusion: This study underscores the pressing issue of mental health and burnout among ophthalmologists in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The findings emphasize the urgent need for tailored interventions and support systems to address the considerable psychological distress and burnout within this workforce. Future research should explore longitudinal designs to gain a deeper understanding of the evolving mental well-being of ophthalmologists over time.
Key words: Burnout, depression, anxiety, ophthalmologists, Saudi Arabia.
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