Prevalence of alterations of the psycho-neuroendocrine-immune system in health professionals suffering from work stress

Abstract

The objective was to identify the frequency of alterations of the psycho-neuroendocrine-immune system in health professionals that affect work-related stress. A descriptive cross-sectional observational study was carried out on 83 health professionals. For the collection of information we use a self-administered survey that identifies the symptoms that are evident in the individual an alteration of the vegetative nervous system; It was complemented with the Maslach Exhaustion Inventory questionnaire - Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) to determine the stress level of health professionals. When analyzing the data collected, we obtained the following results: Of the 83 health professionals who answered the survey and of the agreement to the Maslach Burnout Inventory questionnaire - Survey of Human Services (MBI-HSS), 18.07% of the professionals evaluated Indications of burnout syndrome, with high scores on the subscales of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, low on the subscale of personal fulfillment. Among the professionals who show signs of exhaustion, 60% of them are related to alterations of the psycho-neuroendocrine-immune system, being the most frequent: fatigue, sleep disturbances and digestive alterations, among others. The Burnout Syndrome has a high prevalence and significantly affects the work performance of health personnel, causing alterations in the regulation of the neurovegetative system of the professional and therefore the installation of diseases. The early and timely identification of the syndrome, as well as the implementation of a program for its prevention and treatment, is a priority.