Burnout among Italian Healthcare Professionals: A Cross-Sectional Study on Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Gratification Post-COVID-19

Background: Burnout is a growing concern among healthcare professionals, particularly in high-pressure environments, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigates the prevalence and determinants of burnout among physicians working in a large hospital in Southern Italy. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 367 physicians and trainees at Catania Hospital. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) were used to assess emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal gratification, and general psycho-logical distress. Stratified analyses were performed according to sex, graduation year, and medical specialty. Results: High levels of burnout were observed across all dimensions: 76.7% of respondents reported low personal gratification, 70.8% showed high deper-sonalization, and nearly 50% experienced high emotional exhaustion. Female physicians and recent graduates (after 2020) exhibited significantly lower levels of gratification and higher psychological distress. Service-area professionals reported lower emotional ex-haustion, but also lower gratification compared to surgical specialties. Notably, otorhi-nolaryngology showed both the highest burnout risk and the highest gratification scores. Conclusions: Burnout is alarmingly prevalent among Italian healthcare professionals, and there is significant variation across sexes, graduation cohorts, and medical specialties. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions, including men-torship programs, mental health support, and organizational reforms to improve working conditions and job satisfaction.