Burnout bei Tierärzten im Altersvergleich

Veterinarians are subject to high levels of work-related stress, which can have a negative impact on their mental health. It is known that burnout and the risk of suicide are high among veterinarians worldwide. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent of burnout dimensions and the risk of burnout in three age groups among German veterinarians.

A total of 1053 veterinarians (35.4% men, 64.6% women) from various disciplines took part in the survey. The survey was conducted using a questionnaire on sociodemographic and job-related data and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). The evaluations were carried out based on an age group (AG) distribution: AG I ≤ 35 years (n = 348), AG II > 35–≤ 45 years (n = 361) and AG III > 45 years (n = 344).

When looking at the burnout dimensions within the three age groups, there were significant differences in the dimensions “emotional exhaustion” (p_{Kruskal-Wallis} = 0.025) and “performance” (p_{Kruskal-Wallis} = 0.003). The middle-aged veterinarians were on average more emotionally exhausted. The younger veterinarians reported poorer performance than the other two age groups. One third of those surveyed were not at risk of burnout. Approximately one in two veterinarians (50.9%) reported some symptoms of burnout and 14.6% of the study participants were classified in the “at risk of burnout” group. The prevalence of burnout risk according to Kalimo et al. was 17.0% in AG I, 15.8% in AG II and 11.0% in AG III.

The high prevalence of burnout risk and high proportion of veterinarians with some burnout symptoms show an urgent need to carry out (psychological) risk assessments in order to identify and counteract (stress) exposure. In addition to technical, organizational and personal protective measures there are also measures to strengthen the personal resources of employees of all age groups.