Burnout in radiation therapists in Portugal

Background Burnout syndrome has adverse consequences for individuals, causing a variety of cognitive, affective, physical, behavioural and motivational problems. We aim to assess burnout in Portuguese radiation therapists, for who high levels of contact with patients may potentially lead to burnout. Methods Radiation therapists working in Portugal were invited via e-mail to participate in the study by filling in a survey. The latter had two components: a social-demographic questionnaire and the Maslach Burnout Inventory – Human Services Survey. Results A total of 103 people responded to the survey, 95 of which employed as radiation therapists. The mean burnout scores were 20.60 ± 11.21, 7.43 ± 5.34 and 35.02 ± 6.02, for the emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and personal accomplishment subscales, respectively. In the same order, the total of radiation therapists presenting high levels of burnout were 29%, 14.9% and 29.3% for the different dimensions. The mean scores of burnout did not differ significantly regarding gender, civil status, working in the public or private sector and years of service. Radiation therapists aged 40 years or older presented greater scores of burnout, though with no statistical significance. Conclusion Radiation therapists working in Portugal were seen to have average scores of burnout in the emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and personal accomplishment subscales. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement Research was conducted in CNC.IBILI and supported by the Foundation for Science and Technology (Ref. UID/NEU/04539/2013) and COMPETE 2020 - Operational Program for Competitiveness and Internationalization (Ref. POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007440). ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: The study was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Commission of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra. All necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines and uploaded the relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material as supplementary files, if applicable. Yes The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [MP], upon reasonable request.