Neuropathic Low Back Pain and Burnout among Hungarian Workers

The effect of commuting time on burnout: the mediation effect of musculoskeletal pain

OBJECTIVES

This study explores the relationship among commuting, musculoskeletal (MS) pain, and burnout.

METHODS

An observational and cross-sectional study was conducted at a medical university-affiliated hospital in Taichung, Taiwan in 2021. The two questionnaire was used and they included the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) and the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ). All participants were invited to complete the cross-sectional survey. A multiple linear regression was assessed correlations between commuting, MS pain, and burnout.

RESULTS

After excluding those with missing data, 1,615 healthcare workers were deemed valid as research participants. In multiple linear regression, commuting time longer than 50 min was associated with personal burnout (PB) in the presence of adjusted confounders; however, long commuting time was not associated with work-related burnout (WB). Furthermore, the choice of commuting method did not affect PB or WB. Notably, both neck and shoulder pain (NBSP) and ankle pain (BAP) increase the risk of PB and WB. The mediation analysis demonstrated that NBSP is a mediating factor, increasing the level of PB and WB for commuting times longer than 50 min.

CONCLUSIONS

Healthcare workers who commute for more than 50 min should be considered part of a high-risk group for burnout and musculoskeletal pain. They should also be provided with resources and programs focused on burnout prevention and MS pain relief.

The prevalence and risk factors of burnout and its association with mental issues and quality of life among hungarian postal workers: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Burnout is one of the most extensively studied phenomena of the twenty-first century; which has been extensively studied among helping professions, although it can be broadened to several other types of occupation. Based on our knowledge and literature search, no similar studies have been carried out among postal workes to date.

METHODS

This cross-sectional questionnaire-based epidemiological study was carried out between May 2021 and January 2022 in five counties in Hungary with the recruitment of postal delivery workers focusing on (1) the prevalence of burnout among postal delivery workers; (2) including the role of demographic parameters, duration of employment as well as the presence of secondary employment; (3) and also analyzed the role of several risk factors and medical conditions; (4) and we also examined the possible association between depression, insomnia and quality of life and burnout.

RESULTS

Overall 1300 questionnaires were successfully delivered and 1034 responses received (response rate of 79.5%). Three hundred sixty-eight males (35.6%) and six hundred sixty-six females (64.4%) participated in our study. The prevalence of burnout was 50.8% (525/1034) in this study population (mean score 2.74 ± 0.33). Logistic regression analysis showed that female gender [OR = 2.380, 95% CI: 1.731 to 2.554], first workplace [OR = 1.891, 95% CI: 1.582 to 2.162] and working more than 30 years [OR = 1.901, 95% CI: 1.608 to 2.326] have significantly increased the likelyhood of burnout as well as the history of muscoskeletal pain [OR = 1.156, 95% CI: 1.009 to1.342], current quality of life [OR = 1.602, 95% CI: 1.473 to 1.669] and the presence of sleep disturbance [OR = 1.289, 95% CI: 1.066 to 1.716].

CONCLUSION

This is the first study in Hungary to investigate the prevalence of burnout among postal workers and to explore the relationship between burnout and mental health problems. Our study underlines the clinical importance of burnout and draws attention to the need for appropriate prevention and treatment strategies.

Burnout Among School Teachers During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia

Background

Burnout is a syndrome that results from stressors in the work environment that have not been successfully managed. The prevalence of burnout among schoolteachers was always controversial. COVID-19 pandemic added more stressors to teachers since they had to change their working styles in response to the pandemic lockdowns or curfews. In Saudi Arabia, the prevalence and determinants of burnout among school teachers were not measured by any other group during the COVID-19 pandemic stressors.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 879 teachers in the Jazan region, Saudi Arabia, using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), during April 2021. Multistage cluster random sampling was used.

Results

The mean age of the participants was 41.4 (±6.9) years. Male teachers represented 52.6% of the participants while females represented 47.4%. Most teachers showed burnout symptoms (69.6%). Consequences of burnout were observed, such as using psychotropic medications (4.6%), absenteeism (45.6%), lack of job satisfaction (7.7%), and changing schools (15.8%). Using the MBI scale, most teachers showed medium or high emotional exhaustion (57.6%), low depersonalization (62.2%), and low personal accomplishment (51.4%).

Conclusion

Most teachers showed symptoms of burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. Being an expert and ability to adapt to technology during the COVID-19 pandemic proved to effectively reduce burnout symptoms. Increasing incentives, early detection, and improving the work environment is recommended to diminish burnout consequences.

Neuropathic pain and chronic pain as an underestimated interdisciplinary problem

Neuropathic pain and chronic pain constitute an interdisciplinary problem on the border of medicine, psychology, sociology and economics. While it seems to be underestimated, the scale of this problem will continue to increase due to the population aging and the growing incidence of lifestyle disorders. People employed in various occupational sectors may also wrestle with these disease units, which affect the quality of their life, mental health and work productivity. A narrative review provided an overview of neuropathic pain and chronic pain, and their relationship to such factors as job type, work absenteeism and productivity decline, as well mental well-being. A systematic literature search was conducted based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines to identify appropriate literature by searching the electronic databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, Pain Journal and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Studies were published in Polish, English and French. Research shows an increasing number of musculoskeletal diseases in professionally active people, which lead to disability or provoke work absences. However, sickness presenteeism and/or absenteeism caused by pain not only leads to economic burdens, but also to burnout, fatigue and depression syndromes in employees. These disorders may require specialized effective interventions to support the return to work or maintaining employment despite experiencing pain. Every patient with chronic or neuropathic pain should be correctly assessed to determine the best method of treatment and its effectiveness. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2022;35(3):249-64.