The prevalence of burnout amongst therapists working in private physical rehabilitation centers in South Africa : a descriptive study

CITATION: Du Plessis, T., Visagie, S. & Mji, G. 2014. The prevalence of burnout amongst therapists working in private physical rehabilitation centers in South Africa : a descriptive study. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 44(2):11-16.The original publication is available at http://www.sajot.co.zaHealth care service providers are at risk of burnout due to the nature of their jobs and their personalities. No research has been published on the prevalence and causes of burnout in therapists working in physical rehabilitation units in South Africa. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of burnout and identify causes in therapists working in physical rehabilitation in South Africa. A descriptive, quantitative study was done. Study participants comprised 49 therapists (14 occupational therapists, 13 physiotherapists, 7 therapy assistants, 4 social workers, 1 dietician, 5 speech therapists and 5 psychologists) from six private rehabilitation units in South Africa. No sampling was done. The prevalence of burnout was established with the Maslach Burnout Inventory Manual (MBI). Demographic and employment data were gathered through a questionnaire. MBI scores were categorised as high, moderate or low on the subscales of emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and decreased personal accomplishment. The maximum likelihood and chi-squared tests were used for statistical analysis. A p value of