Unmasking spiritual void as a predictor of burnout: A study of health workers during the pandemic in Turkey

Healthcare professionals are facing a crisis of burnout that is receiving increasing attention. The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified interest in this scenario. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of burnout among healthcare workers in a university hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic and to examine the potential impact of lack of spirituality on burnout. In this cross-sectional study, 546 employees were reached and a questionnaire, the Religious and Unspiritual Scale and the Copenhagen Burnout Scale were used to collect data. The study revealed that non-spirituality was a significant predictor of personal burnout (β=1.27; p=0.045). The findings suggest that lack of spirituality may be a potential pathway that complicates recovery for healthcare professionals struggling with burnout. This highlights the need for healthcare organizations to recognize the importance of spiritual health and incorporate it into their employee support programs.