A simplified measure of burnout symptoms among paramedics - an exploratory analysis of a Hungarian sample.

BACKGROUND: Burnout is still one of the leading mental health problems. According to research results over the past decades, healthcare workers, including paramedics, are considered a high-risk group. In concordance with these results, the available resources need to prioritize monitoring paramedics' mental health. METHODS: In our study, we investigated whether the available test batteries measuring burnout could be reduced while maintaining their effectiveness. We reduced the 21-item Burnout Measurement and the 8-item version of the Psychosomatic Symptom Scale using the data of 727 Hungarian paramedics. We selected the top four items of the questionnaires that were significantly correlated with the original Burnout Measure Index and the Psychosomatic Scale Index. The classification efficiency of the shortened list of items was based on the initial risk categories of the Burnout Measure and its sensitivity was analyzed using Binary Logistic regression and ROC curves. We then used Two-Step Cluster Analysis to test the ability of the shortened Burnout Measure Index to develop new risk categories. The reliability indicators were also explored. RESULTS: The results show that the Burnout Measurement can be reduced to 4 items with a classification efficiency of 93.5% in determining the level of burnout. The 5-item reduction of the Psychosomatic Symptom Scale can classify subjects to the appropriate intervention level for burnout with an efficiency of 81.6%. The ROC analysis suggests that the shortened questionnaires have an excellent separative ability to discriminate between the initial risk groups. Three new risk categories were also identified as a result of the cluster analysis. CONCLUSION: The shortened scales may be proven effective in resource management, which could significantly quicken the assessment of burnout in the future. The abbreviated scale is also suitable for classifying subjects into risk categories. However, further research is needed to see whether the shortened scales can be used as a diagnostic tool.

Psychological immune competency predicts burnout syndrome among the high-risk healthcare staff: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Burnout and psychological immune competency have not been investigated together among employees of high-risk specializations such as emergency medicine, intensive care or surgery. AIM: In this study we aim to examine the prevalence of burnout among high-risk clinical staff and explore whether the strength of psychological immune competency predict burnout. DESIGN: A cross-sectional design utilizing a self-administrated questionnaire was used to collect data from the participants (n = 216). Nurses (n = 145) and physicians (n = 71) from emergency medicine, intensive care and surgery departments participated in the study. METHOD: Burnout syndrome was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory, while psychological immune competency was measured using the Psychological Immune Competency Questionnaire. The data collection started in June of 2018 and was finished in March of 2019. RESULTS: Participants with higher psychological immune competency reported lower levels of burnout: emotional exhaustion (r = -0.478; p < 0.001), depersonalization (r = -0.459; p < 0.001) and personal accomplishment (r = 0.543; p < 0.001). Multiple linear stepwise regression analysis revealed the psychological immune competency to be a stable predictor of burnout on all three scales. CONCLUSION: Psychological immune competency shows a strong relationship with scales of burnout syndrome and as such should be further examined due to development of successful intervention and prevention programs.

Adaptation and psychometric evaluation of Hungarian version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 pandemic has had a global major healthcare, social and economic impact. In present study we aim to adapt the Fear of COVID-19 Scale to Hungarian. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forward-backward translation method was used to translate the English version of the scale to Hungarian. Participants were a convenience sample of 2175 university students and employees. The study was conducted between January 18th and February 12th 2021. The test battery included Hungarian versions of Fear of COVID-19 scale, short Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-H) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). RESULTS: The scale showed one-factor structure, the loadings on the factor were significant and strong (from .47 to .84). Internal consistency was very good (α = .84). Construct validity for the Fear of COVID-19 Scale was supported by significant and positive correlations with STAI (r = 0.402; p < 0.001) and BDI-H (r = 0.270; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The Hungarian version of Fear of COVID-19 Scale is a reliable and valid tool in assessing fear of coronavirus.

[Investigation of the burnout syndrome among the employees of the Department of Surgery at the University of Szeged and comparison with the results of the Department of Emergency Medicine]. / A kiégésszindróma vizsgálata a Szegedi Tudományegyetem Sebészeti Klinikájának dolgozói körében és összehasonlítása a Sürgosségi Betegellátó Önálló Osztályon kapott eredményekkel.

Introduction: Examination of the burnout syndrome in various healthcare fields has paramount importance for a better understanding of the disorder as well as for the establishment of a suitable preventive and intervention program. The surgical departments' employees are at risk among healthcare workers, so it is our objective to further expand the knowledge on the characteristics of the burnout syndrome among the Hungarian surgical staff. Additionally, we compare the results obtained from the Department of Surgery at the University of Szeged with the results of the Department of Emergency Medicine. Aim: Aim of this study is to examine the burnout syndrome and its associations with different variables among the workers of the Department of Surgery at the University of Szeged, and to compare the data with a previous study conducted at the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Szeged. Method: Cross-sectional design utilizing a self-administrated questionnaire was used to collect data from the staff. Burnout was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory, while psychological immune competence was measured using the Psychological Immune Competence Questionnaire. Results: Based on statistical analysis, the number of weekly working hours and the number of somatic symptoms have a negative impact on burnout, while the greater number of high-quality social relationships and the stronger psychological immune competence have proven to be protective factors. Comparing the Department of Surgery and Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Szeged, we found a difference in the age of the workers, the number of years spent in the healthcare as well as the scores on the burnout depersonalization scale. Conclusions: The results obtained show further correlations and reveal protective and risk factors in burnout which can be a key to establishing preventive and intervention strategies. Orv Hetil. 2019; 160(20): 784-791.

Neural mechanisms of predatory aggression in rats-implications for abnormal intraspecific aggression.

Our recent studies showed that brain areas that are activated in a model of escalated aggression overlap with those that promote predatory aggression in cats. This finding raised the interesting possibility that the brain mechanisms that control certain types of abnormal aggression include those involved in predation. However, the mechanisms of predatory aggression are poorly known in rats, a species that is in many respects different from cats. To get more insights into such mechanisms, here we studied the brain activation patterns associated with spontaneous muricide in rats. Subjects not exposed to mice, and those which did not show muricide were used as controls. We found that muricide increased the activation of the central and basolateral amygdala, and lateral hypothalamus as compared to both controls; in addition, a ventral shift in periaqueductal gray activation was observed. Interestingly, these are the brain regions from where predatory aggression can be elicited, or enhanced by electrical stimulation in cats. The analysis of more than 10 other brain regions showed that brain areas that inhibited (or were neutral to) cat predatory aggression were not affected by muricide. Brain activation patterns partly overlapped with those seen earlier in the cockroach hunting model of rat predatory aggression, and were highly similar with those observed in the glucocorticoid dysfunction model of escalated aggression. These findings show that the brain mechanisms underlying predation are evolutionarily conservative, and indirectly support our earlier assumption regarding the involvement of predation-related brain mechanisms in certain forms of escalated social aggression in rats.