Psychosocial Work Environment and Employee Burnout Among Frontline Healthcare Workers in Jos University Teaching Hospital, Plateau State

This study investigates the relationship between psychosocial work environment conditions and employee burnout among frontline healthcare workers at Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) in Plateau State, North Central Nigeria. Healthcare workers in Nigeria face intense psychosocial exposures, including emotional demands from patient interactions, inadequate supervisory support, role ambiguity, and limited decision-making authority, all of which are documented antecedents of occupational burnout. The study employs a cross-sectional survey design, with 200 nurses, resident doctors, and laboratory technicians selected through stratified random sampling from JUTH's various clinical departments. The Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire adapted for Nigerian healthcare contexts serve as the primary instruments. Karasek's Job Demands-Control-Support Model provides the theoretical framework. Findings reveal high burnout prevalence, with emotional exhaustion scores particularly elevated among emergency and intensive care unit staff. Job demand intensity and limited decision latitude are the psychosocial factors most strongly predicting burnout, while team social support and supervisory recognition emerge as significant protective factors. The study also documents that healthcare workers from minority ethnic communities within the hospital's catchment area report higher burnout scores, potentially linked to additional social stressors. Recommendations include workload redistribution, team support programme investments, and regular psychosocial risk assessments embedded in hospital HR planning. Keywords: Psychosocial Work Environment, Burnout, Healthcare Workers, JUTH, Plateau State.