9014 Background: International reports suggest a high prevalence of burnout in oncology, but contemporary Russian data are limited. Methods: Anonymous online survey (June 7-14, 2025) of oncology clinicians and trainees assessing emotional exhaustion in the prior 4 weeks, related symptoms, coping strategies, and free-text views on drivers/mitigation. Results: 735 respondents participated (medical oncologists 46.0%, surgical oncologists 23.9%, radiation oncologists 11.6%, trainees 9.0%); 78.5% worked in public hospitals and 69.0% had no managerial role. Emotional exhaustion was reported "often" by 326 (44.4%) and "constantly" by 152 (20.7%); 157 (21.4%) reported episodic exhaustion, 74 (10.1%) rare, and 26 (3.5%) none. Patient detachment was reported sometimes by 291 (39.6%), often by 221 (30.1%), and as near-constant disengagement by 42 (5.7%). Frequent thoughts about leaving clinical work were reported by 275 (37.4%) (additional 243, 33.1% only in exceptionally difficult moments). Excessive workload was perceived often/constantly by 458 (62.3%); lack of time for breaks/recovery by 629 (85.6%) at least sometimes. Common coping strategies included sleep/rest by 592 (80.5%), support from close ones by 437 (59.5%), physical activity by 385 (52.4%), and hobbies by 251 (34.1%); 198 (26.9%) reported alcohol/medications. In free-text drivers (n=569), the most cited themes were leadership/management issues (33.7%), time/workload pressure (21.1%), patient/relative conflict and complaints (19.3%), and paperwork (12.5%); proposed mitigation included protected rest/work-life boundaries (26.3%) and workload reduction/staffing/process optimization (20.8%). Conclusions: Two-thirds of respondents reported frequent/constant emotional exhaustion, accompanied by patient detachment and high intent to leave clinical work. Findings support prioritizing organization-level interventions and protected recovery time alongside accessible support resources.
Danilova et al. (Thu,) studied this question.