The role of fulfilment and disillusion in the relationship between burnout and career satisfaction in Italian healthcare workers
Open accessAbstract
Healthcare workers' stress, burnout, and job dissatisfaction were exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, whose mid-term negative effects are still present. The aim of this study was to investigate in healthcare workers the effect of the dimensions of burnout (Psychophysical exhaustion, Relational deterioration, and Professional inefficacy) on Career satisfaction. These relationships were evaluated by considering the direct and mediated effects of Disillusion. For these purposes, the Link Burnout Questionnaire (LBQ) and the Career Satisfaction Scale (Occupational Stress Indicator - OSI) were administered to 295 healthcare professionals working at three Italian public hospitals in Cagliari, Italy. The analyses were conducted using the Partial Least Square Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) method. Findings highlight that healthcare workers were in a condition of work distress, high risk of burnout, and career dissatisfaction. Also recognized was the direct negative effect of burnout dimensions on career satisfaction. Finally, the mediated negative effect of Disillusion in the relationship between burnout and career satisfaction was identified. This study emphasizes the relevance of the dimension of Disillusion, and its “bright side” Fulfilment, in healthcare workers, specifically referring to the disregarded relationship between burnout and career satisfaction.
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Cyclical models of burnout propose the decline in self-fulfillment as the final stage of the syndrome, following emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, concluding in a feeling of incompetence and lack of achievement at work, which negatively affects self-esteem and personal satisfaction.
“Cyclical models of burnout (57) propose the decline in self-fulfillment as the final stage of the syndrome, following emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, conclude in a feeling of incompetence and lack of achievement at work, which negatively affects self-esteem and personal satisfaction (60).”
From Evolution of burnout syndrome in Spanish healthcare professionals during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: psychosocial variables involved (2025) · cites this paper as [60]
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- Authors
- Nonnis, M., Agus, M., Corona, F., Aru, N., Urban, A., & Cortese, C. G.
- Affiliations
- University of Cagliari (IT)
- Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Cagliari (IT)
- University of Turin (IT)
- Corresponding author
- Nonnis, Marcello
- ORCID
- Venue
- Sustainability
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2024-01-20
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 893
- ISSN
- 2071-1050 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4391099333
- Cited by
- 17
- References
- 63
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 6
- FWCI
- 8.07
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Sustainability (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Preprints.org (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
- Institutional Research Information System University of Turin (University of Turin) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- American Psychological Association
- Università degli Studi di Cagliari
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Stress and Burnout Research
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Occupational Health and Burnout
- Keywords
- burnout, career satisfaction, disillusionment, fulfillment, healthcare workers, occupational stress, COVID-19 pandemic, psychological exhaustion, mediation, Italian hospitals
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