Prevalence of burnout syndrome in military personnel from a high-altitude operational unit

Fiorella Aguilar Mendoza W.; Pedro Matzumura Kasano J. · Revista Cubana de Medicina Militar (2026)

Resumen

Introduction: Burnout syndrome represents a significant challenge in environments exposed to high levels of occupational stress, such as the military environment, which is characterized by a heavy operational workload and adverse geographical conditions typical of high-altitude regions, such as the Harbour Master's Office of Puno. Objective: To determine the prevalence of burnout syndrome and the associated factors among military personnel assigned to an operational unit in a challenging environment. Methods: Quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional study conducted in a sample of 94 military personnel of the Harbour Master's Office of Puno in July 2024. The Spanish-validated version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used. The dimensions of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal fulfillment were analyzed, along with sociodemographic variables. Descriptive statistics and Student's t-test were applied. Results: High emotional exhaustion was observed in 56.4% of the personnel, high depersonalization in 59.6%, and low personal accomplishment in 82.9%. Statistically significant associations were identified between burnout and variables such as length of service, military function and rank (p<0.05). Conclusions: Burnout has high prevalence in the evaluated military personnel. Associated organizational factors were identified, which underlines the need for specific preventive strategies in military units with high operational demands. Among the main limitations of the study are the use of self-report measures and the absence of broader organizational variables.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos