Interplay of Personality Traits, Alexithymia, and Work-Life Balance in Predicting Burnout among Healthcare Professionals

Abstract

Burnout among healthcare professionals is a critical concern that impacts both employee well-being and the quality of patient care. The study aims to explore how personality traits (Big Five), alexithymia and work-life balance interact to predict burnout among medical healthcare professionals. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among healthcare professionals from both the public and private sectors. A sample of 200 healthcare professionals were analyzed in the study using standardized tools to measure burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory), Alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale), Personality Traits (Big-Five Inventory), and work-life balance. Statistical analyses included t-test for sector comparisons, Pearson correlations, hierarchical regression, moderation analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM). The outcome suggest that burnout levels were moderate overall but significantly higher among public-sector healthcare professionals than among their private-sector counterparts. The public sector also reported higher alexithymia scores and lower work-life balance. Emotional Exhaustion correlated positively with neuroticism, alexithymia, and burnout. Along with work-life balance, it moderated the relationship between alexithymia and burnout. SEM analysis showed that both personality characteristics (Particularly neuroticism) and alexithymia directly influence burnout; work-life balance had a significant moderating role in these relationships.