Correlation between physical therapy and burnout in Saudi Arabia: a national cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: Burnout is as a multidimensional syndrome of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion from prolonged exposure to stressful and demanding work environments, and it has been linked to a wide range of psychological and physical health problems. Objective: To explore the prevalence of burnout among Saudi physical therapists working in private and governmental healthcare facilities and to examine its association with various professional and environmental variables. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 375 Saudi physical therapists practicing in Saudi Arabia using validated English version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, and multivariate linear regression were used for data analysis. Results: The findings revealed a higher prevalence of burnout among female compared to male physical therapists. Specifically, 41.6% of the participants reported high emotional exhaustion, 84.8% reported depersonalization, and 86.9% reported reduced personal accomplishment. A significant positive correlation was also found between daily working hours and burnout dimensions (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment). Conclusion: This study identified a high prevalence of burnout among physical therapists in Saudi Arabia. Female gender, longer daily working hours, and regional differences were significantly associated with higher burnout dimensions. Due to the cross-sectional design, causal relationships cannot be inferred. These findings may assist policymakers and healthcare administrators in developing strategies to support therapists' mental health and well-being.