The burnout syndrome is a form of response to a chronic work-related distress. It affects people working in the so-called “helping professions”, in healthcare, and features a “multidimensional” etiopathogenesis. Its onset is characterised by the appearance of three psychological components, namely, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment, associated with a constellation of psychosomatic and behavioural symptoms. The paper describes a screening project aimed at assessing the risk of burnout in a group of nurses and auxiliary staff working in a palliative care ward, examining the links with the personality trait of alexithymia and identifying any possible prevention criteria. The project employs the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Out of 83 group members, 79 (95%) participated in the study project, which revealed low levels of burnout – compared to the average Italian Normative Sample – and low levels of alexithymia as well. The risk of burnout appeared highest among the group members who were of Italian nationality, single, structured workers and dedicated to palliative care alone, among nurses and staff members with a medium-to-low self-assessment of their professional
skills. There were no significant gender-based differences. The complex picture of the syndrome, therefore, involves cognitive and behavioural, emotional and subjective value-based aspects, as well as aspects relating to the work organization and environment, with respect to which the unanimously shared criteria for effective risk monitoring and prevention are provided
