What question did this study set out to answer?

To describe burnout syndrome in emergency and urgent care professionals in Spain and summarize related occupational and mental health factors.

July 26, 2026Discover Public Health0 citationsOpen Access

Burnout syndrome among professionals working in emergency and urgent care settings in Spain: a systematic review

FAFrancisco Javier Tordecilla AsencioUniversidad San Pablo CEU YPYelson Alejandro Picón‐JaimesUniversity of Cartagena JOJavier Esteban Orozco-ChinomeUniversidad Rey Juan Carlos

Key Points

To describe burnout syndrome in emergency and urgent care professionals in Spain and summarize related occupational and mental health factors.
Conducted a systematic review following PRISMA guidelines.
Included studies of professionals in emergency or urgent care settings in Spain published from 2020 to 2024.
Data extraction was systematic; risk of bias assessed using ROBINS-E.
Ten studies included, involving 2,496 professionals with varying burnout estimates by group and setting.
Recurrent issues of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment reported.
Factors associated with burnout included workload, long shifts, limited resources, and workplace violence.

Abstract

Burnout syndrome affects professionals working in emergency and urgent care settings and may involve emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment. To describe burnout syndrome among professionals working in emergency and urgent care settings in Spain and summarize associated occupational and mental health factors. A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Studies published from January 1, 2020, to February 15, 2025, were searched in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO, and CENTRAL. Eligible studies included professionals working in emergency or urgent care settings in Spain and used validated burnout measurement tools. Data were extracted systematically. ROBINS-E was used to assess risk of bias in exposure-outcome association results, and STROBE was used only to assess completeness of reporting. Ten eligible studies published between 2020 and 2024 were included, involving 2,496 professionals, including physicians, nurses, nursing care assistants, and other staff. Burnout estimates varied by professional group, setting, and measurement instrument. Emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment were recurrently reported. Workload, rotating or long shifts, limited resources, workplace violence, low professional recognition, and limited social support were frequently associated with burnout. Reported associated outcomes included anxiety, depression, chronic stress, and self-reported clinical errors. Burnout is frequent among professionals working in emergency and urgent care settings in Spain. Because several included studies used mixed professional samples, findings should not be interpreted as pooled physician-only estimates. Organizational measures addressing workload, staffing, shift patterns, resources, recognition, and workplace violence may be warranted, although the predominance of cross-sectional evidence prevents causal interpretation.

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