Empathy as a predictor of burnout syndrome in health professionals of the Colombian Caribbean

TL;DR

The study finds that cognitive empathy is a strong predictor of burnout in health professionals in the Colombian Caribbean.

Contribution

This paper empirically demonstrates the predictive role of cognitive empathy in burnout dimensions among health professionals.

Findings

Cognitive empathy explains 15% of the variability in emotional exhaustion.

Cognitive empathy is the best predictor of depersonalization and personal fulfillment.

Affective empathy does not significantly predict burnout dimensions.

Abstract

Empathy is an essential skill in the doctor-patient relationship since it contributes to improve aspects of health care and patient satisfaction. Nevertheless, burnout research projects have been developed in recent years.

To examine the predictive capacity that empathy has on burnout syndrome in health professionals.

A non-experimental, cross-sectional design was proposed. The type of study was correlational-descriptive since it was sought out to explore a functional relation through the prognosis of a criterion variable. Sample: 200 (100 female and 100 male).

First, the variance of cognitive and Affective Empathy was dug out in the emotional exhaustation criterion scale. Results accounted for 15% of variability in emotional exhaustation. (Corrected R 2 = .15, F = 17,56, p = 0,00). The best predictor of emotional exhaustation refers to Cognitive Empathy. (B = -.27, p = 0.00). It does not seem that Affective Empathy acts as a predictor variable of Emotional Exhaustation. (Table 1).
Table 1Multiple linear regression analysis considering Emotional Exhaustation as a criterion.TECA
Corrected R2FBpCognitive Empathy.1517,5-.27**0,00Affective Empathy-.14.13

Multiple linear regression analysis considering Emotional Exhaustation as a criterion.

The predictive capacity of Empathy in relation to Depersonalization was estimated (Corrected R 2 = .20, F = 25,4, p = 0.00). Cognitive and affective empathy were included as predictor variables and MBI as a criterion variable (Table 2). On one hand, the best predictor of Depersonalization is the Cognitive Empathy. On the other hand, regarding Affective Empathy, it does not act as a predictor of Depersonalization.
Table 2Multiple linear regression analysis considering Depersonalization as a criterion.TECA
Corrected R2FBpCognitive Empathy.2025,4-.32**0,00Affective Empathy-.15.84

Multiple linear regression analysis considering Depersonalization as a criterion.

Lastly, the predictive capacity of Empathy in relation to Personal Achievement was figured out. (Corrected R 2 = .19, F = 23,4, p = 0.00). Cognitive Empathy is the best predictor for Personal Fulfillment (Table 3).
Table 3Multiple linear regression analysis considering Personal Fullfilment as a criterion.TECA
Corrected R2FβpCognitive Empathy.2025,4 .43**0,00Affective Empathy.00.96

Multiple linear regression analysis considering Personal Fullfilment as a criterion.

It was noticed that through a linear multiple regression analysis, the variable that best explains Emotional Exhaustation is Cognitive Empathy. Those results are replicated for Depersonalization and Personal Fullfilment.

None Declared

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