Kholmuradova, K.S.

Background. The issue of emotional burnout in medical professionals is sufficiently represented in modern psychology - first of all, due to the prevalence of the phenomenon, as well as the influence of the emotional state of a professional on his/her efficiency and the possibility of constructive interaction with a patient. However, the study of the factors of emotional burnout syndrome in oncologists is far from being exhausted. We believe that one of them is the peculiarities of attitude to death, which may have cross-cultural differences.

Objective. Comparative analysis of the relationship between the dominant type of attitude to death and the severity of emotional burnout in Uzbek and German medics.

Study Participants. The study involved 190 medical specialists from oncological institutions in Uzbekistan and Germany (M_age = 37.1; SD = 9.6; 73 women and 117 men), including 139 Uzbek doctors and 51 German doctors.

Methods. Two questionnaires adapted in Russian and German were used: the method of diagnosing professional burnout and the attitude to death questionnaire, as well as questionnaires to collect data on socio-demographic, professional, worldview (religiosity and specific religion) characteristics of the respondents.

Results. The majority of oncologists in both countries are experiencing symptoms of emotional burnout, with the highest rates observed in subscales of reduced professional achievement and emotional exhaustion. The level of emotional burnout among older doctors is lower in comparison with younger colleagues, regardless of the country. A high level of professionals' satisfaction with wages is accompanied by a decrease in the level of emotional burnout, regardless of the country. Uzbek doctors have a more pronounced burnout syndrome. Experts from both countries most often have a positive attitude towards death: approaching acceptance in Uzbekistan and neutral acceptance in Germany. A significant positive association of emotional burnout is observed with almost all types of attitudes towards death in a sample of doctors from Uzbekistan, while among doctors from Germany it is observed only with its approaching acceptance. Only neutral acceptance of death is associated with a low level of emotional burnout, and this is characteristic of medical oncologists in Uzbekistan, but not in Germany.

Conclusions. The type of attitude towards death can be considered one of the factors of emotional burnout of oncologists. A low level of emotional burnout is most likely determined by a neutral acceptance of death. The relationship between attitudes towards death and emotional burnout has cross-cultural differences that need further study.