ISSN 2079-6617
eISSN 2309-9828
Subjective Assessment of the Characteristics of Professional Activity among Medical Workers of the Oncology Service with Different Degrees of Burnout

Subjective Assessment of the Characteristics of Professional Activity among Medical Workers of the Oncology Service with Different Degrees of Burnout

PDF (Rus)

Recieved: 06/15/2025

Accepted: 02/11/2026

Published: 03/13/2026

Keywords: professional burnout; work motivation; oncology service; motivational profile; subjective assessment of work activity

Pages: 130–143

DOI: 10.11621/npj.2026.0210

Available online: 13.03.2026

To cite this article:

Klimenko, T.S., Abdullaeva, M.M. (2026). Subjective Assessment of the Characteristics of Professional Activity among Medical Workers of the Oncology Service with Different Degrees of Burnout. National Psychological Journal, 21(2) , 130–143. https://doi.org/10.11621/npj.2026.0210

Copied to Clipboard

Copy
Issue 2, 2026

Klimenko, T.S. Lomonosov Moscow State University

Abdullaeva, M.M. Lomonosov Moscow State University

Abstract

Background. The work of oncologists is characterised by high professional responsibility, significant cognitive load and constant emotional stress. In the context of rapid development of medical technologies and chronic shortage of personnel associated with a long period of specialist training, medical workers are forced to continuously improve their skill, while providing assistance. It is assumed that it is the personal perception of work that is the key factor in professional well-being, regardless of organisational conditions. This approach allows us to consider burnout syndrome as a result of a complex interaction of objective working conditions and their subjective assessment.

Objective. The goal is to study the relationships between burnout symptoms and work motivation characteristics among medical workers of the oncology service.

Study Participants. The study involved medical workers of the oncology service of 53 institutions of the Russian Federation, a total of 335 respondents from 22 to 75 years old.

Methods. The study was conducted on the basis of a survey design using three questionnaires: an autobiographical questionnaire, questionnaire “Diagnostics of professional burnout” by K. Maslakh, S. Jackson, adapted by N.E. Vodopyanova, E.S. Starchenkova (2001), Diagnostics of work motivation by R. Hackman and G. Oldham adapted by I.N. Bondarenko (2010).

Results. The results confirmed the risk of burnout among oncology healthcare workers. Three groups of respondents were identified, each with a different severity of symptoms. Respondents not experiencing burnout (123) and those experiencing burnout (71) demonstrated different patterns of relationships between subjectively significant components of work. Meanwhile, both groups equally valued meaningful work and interaction at work, the main difference was in maintaining autonomy among the “well-off” respondents.

Conclusions. Understanding the relationship between the level of burnout and the assessment of subjective characteristics of work activity opens up new opportunities for working with different categories of personnel in a medical organisation, in particular, recruitment, assessment of involvement, subsequent development, as well as improving the system of motivation.

References

Ashrafyan, L.A., Kiselev, V.I., Kuznetsov, I.N., Muizhnek, E.L., Gerfanova, E.V., Vashakmadze, S.L. (2016). Molecular cancer biology and prospects for effective therapy. Onkologiya. Zhurnal im. P.A. Gertsena = P.A. Herzen Journal of Oncology, 5(3), 80–87. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.17116/onkolog20165280-87

Bondarenko, I.N. (2010). Adaptation of R. Hackman’s and G. Oldham’s “Job Diagnostic Survey” on Russian-speaking sample. Psikhologicheskii zhurnal = Psychological Journal, 31(3), 109–124. (In Russ.)

Demerouti, E., Verbeke, W., Bakker, A.B. (2005). Exploring the relationship between a multidimensional and multifaceted burnout concept and self-rated performance. Journal of Management, 31(2), 186–209. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206304271602

Evstifeeva, E.A., Filippchenkova, S.I., Murashova, L.A. (2021). Psychological vector for overcoming emotional burn out syndrome in oncologists. Vestnik Tverskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Seriya: Pedagogika i psikhologiya =Bulletin of Tver State University. Series: Pedagogy and Psychology, (3), 13–18. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.26456/vtpsyped/2021.3.013

Klimenko, T.S. (2023). Characteristics of professional burnout of oncologists. Kreativnaya khirurgiya i onkologiya =Creative Surgery and Oncology, 13(2), 119–124. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.24060/2076-3093-2023-13-2-119-124

Klipinina, N.V., Khain, A.E. (2023). The problem of professional stress and emotional burnout of medical staff in pediatric oncology and hematology. Sovremennaya zarubezhnaya psikhologiya = Journal of Modern Foreign Psychology, 12(2), 74–83. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.17759/jmfp.2023120207

Komarov, G.A. (2018). Medical organization management: 10 steps forward. Saint Petersburg: Beresta Publ. (In Russ.)

Kvachakhiya, L.L., Sapranova, N.A. (2022). Remuneration for labor as a basic tool for motivating doctors in modern conditions. Vestnik Altaiskoi akademii ekonomiki i prava = Bulletin of the Altai Academy of Economics and Law, (3), 188–193. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.17513/vaael.2115

Leiter, M.P., Maslach, C. (2016). Latent Burnout profiles: A new approach to understanding the burnout experience. Burnout Research, 3(4), 89–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.burn.2016.09.001

Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W.B., Leiter, M.P. (2001). Job burnout. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 397–422. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.397

Meredith, L.S., Bouskill, K.E., Chang, J., Larkin, J., Motala, A., Hempel, S. (2022). Predictors of burnout among US healthcare providers: a systematic review. BMJ Open, 12(8). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-054243

Moskvicheva, L.I. (2023). The importance of job satisfaction in the professional activity of a modern doctor. Upravlenie personalom i intellektual’nymi resursami v Rossii = Management of the Personnel and Intellectual Resources in Russia,(2), 43–48. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.12737/2305-7807-2023-12-2-43-48

Mozolevskaya, N.V., Zaitseva, E.V. (2019). Characteristics of emotional burnout syndrome in medical personnel of an oncology department. Molodoi uchenyi = Young Scientist, (30), 103–105. (In Russ.)

Mun’ko, E.Yu. (2022). Work motivation as a factor in personnel development. In the Latest Human Resource Management Practices. In: P.V. Ruzanov, (ed.). Regional Student Conference (April 28, 2022). (pp. 33–41). Omsk: OmSTU Publ. (In Russ.)

Samofalov, D.A., Chigrina, V.P., Tyufilin, D.S., Chargaziya, L.D., Kitnyuk, K.G., Kobyakova, O.S., Deev, I.A. (2023). Professional burnout and quality of life of physicians in the Russian Federation in 2021. Sotsial’nye aspekty zdorov’ya naseleniya = Social Aspects of Population Health, (1). (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.21045/2071-5021-2023-69-1-1

Samsonov, Yu.V., Kostin, A.A. (2025). Cancer care and cancer mortality: regional analysis in the context of Russia. Sibirskii onkologicheskii zhurnal = Siberian Journal of Oncology, 24(2), 16–25. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.21294/1814-4861-2025-24-2-16-25

Savinkina, L.A., Shepelova, T.S. (2014). The problem of medical personnel shortage and ways to address it. Sovremennye problemy nauki i obrazovaniya = Modern Problems of Science and Education, (6), 569–574. (In Russ.)

Sobczuk, P., Gawlik-Urban, A., Sigorski, D., Kiszka, J., Osmola, M., Machulska-Ciuraj, K., Wilk, M., Brodziak, A. (2024). Prevalence and factors associated with professional burnout in Polish oncologists — results of a nationwide survey. ESMO Open, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esmoop.2023.102230

Starshinin, A.V., Burdastova, Yu.V. (2023). Challenges and prospects for health workforce management. Zdorov’e megapolisa = City Healthcare, 4(3), 50–58. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.47619/2713-2617.zm.2023.v.4i3;50-58

Timofeev, D.A., Tsvigailo, M.A., Eremina, M.G., Kovalev, Y.P., Bochkareva, G.N., Grigoryeva, E.A., Shigaev, N.N. (2022). The labor motivation in professional groups of medical organization. Problemy sotsial’noi gigieny, zdravookhraneniya i istorii meditsiny= Problems of Social Hygiene, Healthcare, and History of Medicine, 30(1), 153–159. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.32687/0869-866X-2022-30-1-153-159

Tyulyandin, S.A., Zhukov, N.V. (eds.). The truth about Russian oncology: problems and possible solutions. Moscow: All-Russian Public Organization “Russian Society of Clinical Oncology” Publ. (In Russ.)

Ulumbekova, G.E., Alvianskaya, N.V., Petrachkov, I.V. (2022). Organization and financing of cancer care in the Russian Federation in 2018–2024. ORGZDRAV: novosti, mneniya, obuchenie. Vestnik VShOUZ = Healthcare Management: News. Views. Education. Bulletin of VSHOUZ, 8(1), 33–74. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.33029/2411-8621-2022-8-1-33-74

Vodop’yanova, N.E., Starchenkova, E.S. (2008). Burnout syndrome: diagnosis and prevention. Saint Petersburg: Piter Publ. (In Russ.)

Yas’ko, B.A. (2017). Professional optimism: an empirical study and psychological interpretation. Yuzhno-rossiiskii zhurnal sotsial’nykh nauk = South-Russian Journal of Social Sciences, 18(2), 138–150. (In Russ.)

To cite this article:

Klimenko, T.S., Abdullaeva, M.M. . Subjective Assessment of the Characteristics of Professional Activity among Medical Workers of the Oncology Service with Different Degrees of Burnout. // National Psychological Journal 2026. 2. Pages130–143. doi: 10.11621/npj.2026.0210

Copied to Clipboard

Copy