Abstract

The term „occupational burnout” is used to define mental an emotional exhaustion, especially due to a long term exposure to stress. Studies show that occupational burnout is typically found in such professions as: physicians, physiotherapists, nurses, psychologists and social workers. In women, occupational burnout is manifested by emotional exhaustion. The objective of the study was to assess the level of life and job satisfaction among female physiotherapists, with particular reference to occupational burnout phenomenon. The sample included 30 female physiotherapists and the control group was composed of 30 female pharmacists. The research tools included Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (LSQ) and Burnout Scale Inventory (BSI). Statistical analysis was based on arithmetic means, standard deviations (SD) and the significance of differences between the mean values obtained from each occupational group. Significance level was established using Student’s-t test. The results indicate differences in the global life satisfaction score between the study and control groups. The studied female physiotherapists were diagnosed with chronic fatigue, requiring prompt preventive measures.

Key words:

burnout, satisfaction, stress, loos of energy