Incidenţa sindromului burnout în sistemul de probaţiune din România [ncidence of Burnout Syndrome in the Romanian Probation System]

Burnout is a syndrome increasingly affecting active individuals across various professional fields, having a significant social and economic impact. It manifests through various physical and psychological symptoms such as anxiety, depression, lowered self-esteem, and social withdrawal. Regarding probation staff, studies conducted over time in different jurisdictions highlight a significant incidence of the syndrome among them. The reasons are multiple, with the most relevant being the high volume of cases, numerous interactions, emotional involvement, or deadline pressure. This article analyzes the incidence of burnout among probation counselors in Romania, considering the developments in the Romanian probation system that occurred after 2014. During this period, due to legislative changes, the number of cases and the complexity of activities increased. In the theoretical part of this article, we clarified the terms used and presented the results of some researchers conducted in various jurisdictions. The second part consists of a study conducted in 2020 in 20 probation services in Romania, utilizing the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). The results indicate that burnout is a reality within the Romanian probation system, and a series of recommendations are formulated to reduce its incidence.



Keywords: burnout, probation, Maslach Burnout Inventory