Abstract
Introduction
Burnout among healthcare workers threatens workforce well-being and quality of care. Evidence from Ghana remains limited, particularly regarding demographic and professional differences in tertiary hospitals. This study aimed to examine burnout prevalence and its association with key demographic characteristics, including age, gender, marital status, and professional category among healthcare workers in a tertiary facility in Ghana.
Methods
A cross-sectional retrospective study analyzed secondary data from a routine clinical audit of 333 healthcare workers (86 doctors, 233 nurses, and 14 health assistants) at Cape Coast Teaching Hospital. Burnout was measured using the validated Burnout Assessment Tool with sound psychometric properties. Associations between burnout and age, gender, marital status, and profession were examined using descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression. Statistical significance was set at p≤ 0.05.
Results
Among the 333 healthcare workers studied, the overall burnout prevalence was 62.4% (n = 208). Women and men had comparable overall burnout prevalence (62.9% versus 61.7%), although women reported higher psychosomatic symptoms. Burnout prevalence declined with increasing age, from 64.4% among those aged 20–29 years to 56.5% among those aged 50–59 years. Single healthcare workers experienced slightly higher burnout prevalence than married workers (64.7% versus 59.6%). Bivariate analysis identified profession as the only demographic factor significantly associated with burnout (χ
2
= 6.24, p = 0.044). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, nurses and health assistants had significantly lower odds of burnout compared to doctors (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.26–0.83; p = 0.009).
Conclusion
Burnout at Cape Coast Teaching Hospital is both substantial and varies by profession, underscoring the need for differentiated responses. Nurses and health assistants had lower odds of experiencing burnout compared to doctors. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions, including workload adjustments, structured mental health support, and organizational wellness programs.