Healthcare Professional’s Burnout and Measures to Alleviate Occupational Stress and Depression

Abstract

Recent studies have indicated that high levels of stress, emotional fatigue, and depression significantly affect the work competency of healthcare professionals; and that more than a third of healthcare professionals across the world report one or more symptoms of burnout. Yet being in a field that requires urgency and long hours, it becomes imperative to develop strategies to alleviate such issues while improving the healthcare services offered to patients. The purpose of this literature review and analysis is to highlight how healthcare professional burnout occurs, explore measures to remediate these issues, and how meditation, as a stress reliever, is an effective method to reduce stress and anxiety levels among healthcare providers. Keywords: Burnout, Stress, Depression, Meditation, Cortisol