Prevalence of occupational burnout among veterinarians in Uganda.

Abstract

Occupational burnout; a work-related syndrome of physical and emotional exhaustion secondary to prolonged, unresolvable occupational stress, is a common condition affecting health care providers; veterinary professionals inclusive, and yet little is known about its prevalence in Uganda. This study presented the first comprehensive assessment of occupational burnout prevalence among veterinarians in Uganda, revealing a critical public health crisis with 85.6% of practitioners experiencing moderate burnout. Employing a cross-sectional design with validated psychometric tools (MBI-EE subscale), the research surveyed 125 licensed veterinarians across government (44.0%), private (36.0%), and NGO (12.8%) sectors. The findings indicated that burnout originates primarily from systemic failures rather than individual factors, with chronic resource shortages (72% medication stockouts), extreme workforce gaps (1:25,000 veterinarian: livestock ratio), and lack of mental health support creating universal stress across all demographics. Notably, no significant differences emerged by gender (χ²=0.670, p=0.715) or practice type (χ²=5.111, p=0.530), contrasting with patterns observed in high-income countries and underscoring how structural deficiencies override typical risk factors. Mid-career veterinarians (31-50 years; 62.4% of sample) demonstrated particular vulnerability, facing intersecting professional and personal demands within an already strained system. The near-absence of high burnout reports (0.8%) suggested a concerning normalization of chronic stress rather than genuine resilience. These findings have serious implications for Uganda's capacity to manage zoonotic diseases, including rabies, which accounts for 21,476 of Africa's human deaths annually, and to maintain food security, given the sector's contribution of 31% to agricultural GDP. The study proposes urgent, multilevel interventions: (1) systemic reforms including minimum equipment standards and mental health coverage, (2) establishment of peer-support networks and workload modulation systems, and (3) proactively incorporating burnout resilience training into veterinary curricula to produce resilient veterinarians. The research advances global understanding of LMIC veterinary burnout by demonstrating how institutional neglect creates distinct stress phenotypes, while providing an evidence base for Uganda's National Veterinary Strategy revision. Future research should employ longitudinal designs to track burnout progression and test context-specific interventions in resource-constrained settings like Uganda