E-ISSN 2218-6050 | ISSN 2226-4485
 

Research Article


Prevalence of burnout in veterinary medicine: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Jesús Barrado, Amparo Osca.


Abstract
Background:
Burnout, a consequence of chronic work-related stress, is particularly prevalent among veterinarians due to unique occupational challenges. This study investigates the prevalence of burnout within this profession.

Aim:
The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of burnout syndrome among veterinary professionals and to examine work-related stress dimensions as potential antecedents.

Methods:
We conducted a systematic literature review using Eight electronic databases. The snowballing technique was applied by reviewing articles citing the included studies. A specific search for gray literature was carried out using the OpenGrey database. The quality of the included studies was assessed. A synthesis was performed by conducting random-effects meta-analysis to calculate proportions.

Results:
This review included 34 studies with 35,202 participants. The prevalence of burnout was 38.68 %. The most cited dimensions of work-related stress were workload and working hours. Limitations: Veterinarians were not differentiated by sex, age, or employment modality, veterinary medicine is an increasingly female dominated profession and female veterinarians have a higher prevalence of burnout than their male counterparts.

Conclusion:
Considering the high prevalence of burnout in veterinary medicine, proactive measures should focus on preventing burnout. Furthermore, structural and organizational changes should be considered.

Key words: Burnout; Meta-analysis; Prevalence; Stress dimensions; Systematic review.


 
ARTICLE TOOLS
Abstract
PDF Fulltext
How to cite this articleHow to cite this article
Citation Tools
Related Records
 Articles by Jesús Barrado
Articles by Amparo Osca
on Google
on Google Scholar


How to Cite this Article
Pubmed Style

Barrado J, Osca A. Prevalence of burnout in veterinary medicine: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Open Vet. J.. 2026; 16(7): 4158-4193. doi:10.5455/OVJ.2026.v16.i7.7


Web Style

Barrado J, Osca A. Prevalence of burnout in veterinary medicine: A systematic review and meta-analysis. https://www.openveterinaryjournal.com/?mno=307611 [Access: July 01, 2026]. doi:10.5455/OVJ.2026.v16.i7.7


AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Barrado J, Osca A. Prevalence of burnout in veterinary medicine: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Open Vet. J.. 2026; 16(7): 4158-4193. doi:10.5455/OVJ.2026.v16.i7.7



Vancouver/ICMJE Style

Barrado J, Osca A. Prevalence of burnout in veterinary medicine: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Open Vet. J.. (2026), [cited July 01, 2026]; 16(7): 4158-4193. doi:10.5455/OVJ.2026.v16.i7.7



Harvard Style

Barrado, J. & Osca, . A. (2026) Prevalence of burnout in veterinary medicine: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Open Vet. J., 16 (7), 4158-4193. doi:10.5455/OVJ.2026.v16.i7.7



Turabian Style

Barrado, Jesús, and Amparo Osca. 2026. Prevalence of burnout in veterinary medicine: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Open Veterinary Journal, 16 (7), 4158-4193. doi:10.5455/OVJ.2026.v16.i7.7



Chicago Style

Barrado, Jesús, and Amparo Osca. "Prevalence of burnout in veterinary medicine: A systematic review and meta-analysis." Open Veterinary Journal 16 (2026), 4158-4193. doi:10.5455/OVJ.2026.v16.i7.7



MLA (The Modern Language Association) Style

Barrado, Jesús, and Amparo Osca. "Prevalence of burnout in veterinary medicine: A systematic review and meta-analysis." Open Veterinary Journal 16.7 (2026), 4158-4193. Print. doi:10.5455/OVJ.2026.v16.i7.7



APA (American Psychological Association) Style

Barrado, J. & Osca, . A. (2026) Prevalence of burnout in veterinary medicine: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Open Veterinary Journal, 16 (7), 4158-4193. doi:10.5455/OVJ.2026.v16.i7.7