Changes in psychophysiological and autonomic manifestations of occupational burnout syndrome in healthcare personnel during binaural therapy

BACKGROUND: Occupational burnout is caused by chronic work-related stress, which leads to negative consequences for physical and mental health. The most vulnerable professional group for the development of occupational burnout is healthcare personnel, whose work is associated with a high level of stress. The most promising approach to this problem is the use of non-pharmacological technologies, particularly binaural therapy, which has a positive effect on brain function by improving its functional activity.

AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of a course of binaural stimulation in correcting clinical-functional and psychological manifestations of occupational burnout syndrome in healthcare specialists.

METHODS: A prospective, controlled, comparative, randomized study involved 80 healthcare professionals diagnosed with occupational burnout syndrome. Basic therapy, provided to all patients, included a course of physical exercises and psychological counseling. Using simple fixed randomization, all patients were divided into two groups. The first group (control group, n = 40) received basic therapy only. The second group (main group, n = 40) received a course of binaural therapy using the PRAK audiovisual complex in alpha- and theta-stimulation modes additionally to basic therapy. The efficacy of the intervention for occupational burnout symptoms was assessed based on changes in the scores of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), the Spielberger–Hanin test, and heart rate variability.

RESULTS: Treatment course was accompanied by positive changes in the evaluated indicators, the severity of which differed substantially between the groups. However, the comparative analysis demonstrated significantly greater improvement in the main group. With the course use of binaural therapy, further regression in MBI values, manifestations of state and trait anxiety on the Spielberger–Hanin test. It also induced changes in heart rate variability parameters, which clearly indicated enhanced activity of stress-limiting mechanisms. This was evidenced by normalization of the vagosympathetic interaction index and the regulatory systems activity index.

CONCLUSIONS: The course use of binaural rhythms contributes to a statistically significantly more pronounced regression in clinical-functional and psychophysiological manifestations of occupational burnout. The high therapeutic potential of binaural therapy is based on the ability of the physical factor to exert multimodal corrective action on the key pathogenic mechanisms of burnout syndrome. This action combines anti-stress and anxiolytic effects with the ability to restore vagosympathetic balance, thereby normalizing the regulatory capacity of the autonomic nervous system.