Prevalence of burnout among allied healthcare professionals employed at a state referral hospital in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
Loading...
Date
2025
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Fort Hare
Abstract
Burnout has emerged as a significant occupational health concern among healthcare professionals globally, with particularly severe consequences in resource-constrained health systems such as South Africa’s public sector. Despite extensive research on burnout among doctors and nurses, limited evidence exists regarding its prevalence among allied healthcare workers, who form a critical yet understudied component of the health workforce. This study investigated the prevalence and determinants of burnout among allied healthcare professionals employed at a tertiary state hospital in the Eastern Cape Province. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional design, data was collected from 83 permanently employed allied healthcare workers, including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitians, social workers, radiographers, speech therapists, audiologists, and orthotists/prosthetists, through a self-administered questionnaire comprising demographic variables and the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS). Descriptive statistics were used to determine burnout prevalence across the domains of emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and reduced personal accomplishment, while inferential analyses examined associations with demographic and work-related factors.
Findings revealed a high prevalence of burnout within the study population, with emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation prominently elevated, aligning with global and national patterns observed in health professionals operating under high workload and resource limitations. Several demographic and occupational variables, including age, gender, years of experience, marital status, overtime work, weekend/public holiday duties, and engagement in recreational or religious activities, were shown to correlate significantly with burnout scores. Consistent with international literature, younger professionals and those with fewer years of experience demonstrated higher vulnerability to burnout, likely due to limited autonomy and coping resources. Organisational factors such as staff shortages, excessive workloads, administrative burden and poor resource availability emerged as substantial contributors, reflecting systemic challenges characteristic of South Africa’s public healthcare environment.
The study highlights critical implications for individual health and wellbeing, including increased risk of mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. Burnout was also shown to compromise patient safety and care quality, contributing to medical errors, reduced empathy, impaired communication and diminished rehabilitation outcomes. At a systems level, burnout exacerbates healthcare workforce instability through absenteeism, reduced productivity, and increased staff turnover, factors that further strain already fragile public health services. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted, multi-level interventions addressing both individual coping strategies and broader organisational determinants. Recommendations include improved staffing and workload management, strengthened supervision and mentorship for young professionals, enhanced mental health support, and routine monitoring of burnout as part of institutional quality and riskmanagement processes.
This research contributes to the limited empirical literature on allied health burnout in South Africa and provides essential evidence to guide policy, institutional reforms and staff wellbeing initiatives. Mitigating burnout among allied health professionals is vital not only for workforce sustainability, but also for improving patient outcomes and strengthening the resilience of the public health system.
Description
Master of Public Health mini-research dissertation
Keywords
Allied health personnel -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape, Burn out -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape, South Africa
Citation
Tovell, L. (2025) Prevalence of burnout among allied healthcare workers employed at a state tertiary hospital in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Master of Public Health mini-research dissertation. Alice, South Africa: University of Fort Hare.