Relationship of Emotional Intelligence and Burnout among MBBS Doctors of Himachal Pradesh

The objective of the study is to strengthen the role of EI in the professional setting as it is well accepted that in present times every job has its own certain demands and fulfilling these demands can be very nerve-racking eventually leading to job stress. Numerous studies conducted worldwide have emphasized the importance of EI in various spheres of life and healthcare is no exception. Healthcare is a field that is filled with lots of uncertainties as far as human life is concerned. The people working in healthcare have to deal with extreme human emotions on a daily basis. So we can understand that a person having low EI can have a difficult time in dealing with these emotions erupting situations. Emotional Intelligence is an umbrella term that captures how we perceive, regulate, use and understand our own emotions and the emotions of others (Zeidner et al., 2009). Emotional intelligence has been associated with decreased burnout but in reference to Himachal Pradesh not many studies have been done with regard to MBBS doctors. The present study was undertaken with the purpose of studying burnout and emotional intelligence among MBBS doctors of Himachal Pradesh. A purposive sample of a total of 190 MBBS doctors from government hospitals participated in the study. Only full time working MBBS doctors were taken for the present study. Maslach Burnout Inventory (Maslach & Jackson, 1986) was used (also called the MBI) to assess burnout and Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale was used to assess emotional intelligence. The study aimed to study the relationship of emotional intelligence with sub- scales of burnout i.e. emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment. Statistical analysis was carried out using Pearson’s Correlation. The findings showed a negative significant relationship between Emotional intelligence and two subscales of burnout i.e. emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and a significant positive relationship with the subscale personal accomplishment.