Table 1 Characteristics of studies on burnout among physicians in the Middle East (N = 54)

Abdul-Rahman, 2018 [40]

UAE

Physicians undergoing residency training (N = 302)

MBI-HSS

75.5%

84%

74%

84.0%*

Abut, 2012 [41]

Turkey

Trainee anesthesiologists (N = 159)

MBI

Females:

18.1 ± 6.4

Males:

19.2 ± 6.9

Females:

6.1 ± 3.9

Males:

7.4 ± 4.5

Females:

22.8 ± 4.9

Males:

21.1 ± 5.4

–

Afana, 2017 [84]

Qatar

Physicians undergoing residency training (N = 142)

AMI

10.7 ± 3.6

5.4 ± 3.9

14.1 ± 3.1

Agha, 2015 [42]

Saudi Arabia

Doctors working at a tertiary care hospital (N = 96)

MBI-HSS

68.8%

63.6%

38.5%

88.5%*

Ahmadpanah, 2015 [43]

Iran

General practitioners at emergency wards (N = 100)

MBI

15.4%

14.5%

10.2%

–

Aksoy, 2014 [44]

Turkey

Pediatric residents (N = 22) and internal medicine residents (N = 33)

MBI

–

–

–

Pediatric residents: 27.3%*

Internal medicine residents: 33.3%*

Al-Dubai, 2010 [45]

Yemen

Doctors (N = 356)

MBI

63.2%

19.4%

33.0%

11.7%^

Al-Mendalawi, 2018 [46]

Saudi Arabia

Pediatric residents (N = 32)

MBI

43%

72%

41%

–

Al-Sareai, 2013 [47]

Saudi Arabia

Physicians (N = 370)

MBI

29.5%

15.7%

19.7%

6.3%^

Al-Shuhail, 2017 [87]

Saudi Arabia

National Guard Physicians (N = 95)

The Oldenburg Burnout Inventory

–

–

–

46%⁺

Al-Youbi, 2013 [48]

Saudi Arabia

Pediatricians (N = 130)

MBI

–

–

–

82%*

Aldrees, 2015 [49]

Saudi Arabia

Otolaryngology residents (N = 85)

MBI-HSS

29.5 ± 9.6

10.7 ± 6.0

32.33 ± 6.0

–

Aldrees, 2017 [50]

Saudi Arabia

Plastic surgery residents (N = 38)

MBI

71%

50%

34%

18%^

Aldrees, 2013 [51]

Saudi Arabia

Physicians (N = 348)

MBI

54%

35%

34%

70%*

Alyamani, 2018 [52]

Saudi Arabia

Medical and surgical residents (N = 200)

MBI-HSS

12.5%

31.5%

51.0%

–

Amiri, 2016 [53]

Iran

Primary Care Physicians (N = 548)

MBI

15.5 ± 13.6

3.7 ± 5.4

35.5 ± 13.5

17.3%^

Arvandi, 2016 [54]

Iran

Clinical faculty (N = 143)

MBI

25%

5.6%

44.8%

–

Ashkar, 2010 [55]

Lebanon

Medical residents (N = 155)

MBI-HSS

67.7%

47.1%

23.9%

–

Bar-Sela, 2012 [56]

Israel

Oncology residents (N = 15)

MBI

Pre-intervention:

Junior residents:3.6

Senior residents:3.1

Post-intervention:

Junior residents: 3.6

Senior residents:1.4

Pre-intervention:

Junior residents:2.6

Senior residents:0.98

Post-intervention:

Junior residents:2.1

Senior residents:1.4

Pre-intervention:

Junior residents:1.3

Senior residents:2.0

Post-intervention:

Junior residents:1.9

Senior residents:1.4

–

Bawakid, 2017 [85]

Saudi Arabia

Primary Care Physicians (N = 246)

AMI

11.6 ± 4.7

5.6 ± 5.2

14.4 ± 3.6

–

Ben-Itzhak, 2015 [57]

Israel

Emergency physicians (N = 70)

MBI

61.4%

51.4%

17.1%

–

Capraz, 2017 [58]

Turkey

Psychiatric trainees (N = 167)

MBI

–

–

–

38.3%⁺

Erdur, 2015 [59]

Turkey

Emergency physicians (N = 174)

MBI

Males:

24.6 ± 6.0

Females:

24.1 ± 6.7

Males:

30.0 ± 3.4

Females:

29.9 ± 3.9

Males:

11.0 ± 3.2

Females:

10.7 ± 4.1

–

Ghannam, 2019 [86]

Qatar

Medical residents (N = 256)

AMI

–

–

–

–

Granek, 2016 [92]

Israel

Oncologists (N = 178)

single-item

(7-point Likert scale)

–

–

–

Males:

1.84 ± 1.5

Females: 2.69 ± 1.69

Granek, 2017 [93]

Israel & Canada

Oncologists (N = 177): Israeli (N = 79) and Canadian (N = 98)

single-item (7-point Likert scale)

–

–

–

Israeli and Canadian: 1.43 ± 1.6

Grossman, 2019 [60]

Israel

Pediatrics (N = 238)

MBI

–

–

–

33%⁺

Gül, 2017 [61]

Turkey

Psychiatrists (N = 201)

MBI

Psychiatrists with SCT:

28.9 ± 6.9

Psychiatrists without SCT:

23.7 ± 6.4

Psychiatrists with SCT:

11.1 ± 4.6

Psychiatrists without SCT:

10.4 ± 3.9

Psychiatrists with SCT:

20.3 ± 4.8

Psychiatrists without SCT:

19.2 ± 5.1

Psychiatrists with SCT:

58.4 ± 12.6

Psychiatrists without SCT:

51.4 ± 11.4

Haber, 2013 [88]

Israel

Physicians in conflict zones/situations (N = 97)

ProQOL

–

–

–

17.16 ± 5.07

Haik, 2017 [62]

Israel

Burn clinicians (N = 55), specifically clinicians from Burns, Plastic and Reconstruction Surgery and Intensive Care

MBI

24.3 ± 9.3

34.5%

9.3 ± 2.4

27.3%

34.9 ± 3.4

29.0%

38.2%^

Hameed, 2018 [63]

Saudi Arabia

Medical residents (N = 181)

MBI

62.2%

70.6%

11.1%

–

Hasan, 2015 [64]

Bahrain

Secondary care doctors (N = 230)

MBI-HSS

43.1%

26.7%

51.5%

–

Jalili, 2013 [65]

Iran

Emergency medicine residents and practitioners (N = 188)

MBI

22.9

9.3

31.5

–

Jamjoom, 2018 [66]

Saudi Arabia

Pediatric residents (N = 32)

MBI-HSS

43.0%

71.8%

40.6%

–

Karaoglu, 2015 [67]

Turkey

Pediatric residents (N = 74)

MBI

23.8 ± 5.3

14.9 ± 2.8

26.7 ± 3.6

–

Keinan, 1987 [68]

Israel

Male internists (N = 79)

single-item (7-point Likert scale)

–

–

–

3.13

Kosan, 2018 [69]

Turkey

Physicians (N = 663)

MBI

15.6 ± 7.0

5.7 ± 3.9

21.0 ± 4.4

–

Kotb, 2014

[70]

Egypt

Physicians (N = 171): Hospital physicians (N = 140) and family physicians (N = 31)

MBI

–

–

–

Hospital physicians: 53.9%⁺

Family physicians: 41.9%⁺

Kotb, 2014 [71]

Egypt

Family physicians (N = 31)

MBI

–

–

–

Pre-intervention:

41.9%⁺

Post-intervention

32.3%⁺

Kushnir, 2006 [72]

Israel

Pediatricians (N = 126)

Shirom-Melamed Burnout Questionnaire

(6-point response scale)

–

–

–

Pediatric specialists:

2.6 ± 0.8

Regular pediatricians

2.6 ± 0.7

Clinic directors:

2.4 ± 0.7

Non-directors:

2.7 ± 0.8

Kushnir, 2008 [91]

Israel

Pediatricians (N = 200)

Shirom-Melamed Burnout Questionnaire

–

–

–

2.6 ± 0.8

Kushnir, 2014 [90]

Israel

Primary care physicians (N = 136)

MBI

44.5%

36.0%

31.6%

–

Pirincci, 2015 [73]

Turkey

Assistant physicians working at a university hospital(N = 222)

MBI

22.3 ± 8.4

8.7 ± 4.7

18.7 ± 5.9

–

Sadat-Ali, 2005 [74]

Saudi Arabia

Orthopedic surgeons (N = 69)

MBI

50.7%

59.4%

17.0%

–

Salem, 2018 [75]

Qatar

Primary Care Physicians (N = 144)

MBI

11.9%

28.9%

19.7%

16.0%^

Salem, 2018 [76]

Lebanon

Oncologists (N = 51)

MBI-HSS

33.3%

19.6%

13.7%

–

Shams, 2013 [77]

Egypt

Anesthesiologists (N = 98)

MBI-HSS

62.2%

56.1%

58.2%

–

Shinan-Altman, 2018 [78]

Israel

Psychosocial oncologists

(N = 85)

MBI-HSS

16.3%

2.4%

–

–

Soltanifar, 2018 [79]

Iran

Female emergency medicine physicians (N = 77)

MBI

84.5%

48.1%

80.5%

–

Talih, 2016 [89]

Lebanon

Medical residents (N = 118)

The Burnout Measure

–

–

–

27.0%

Tarcan, 2017 [166]

Turkey

Physicians (N = 250)

MBI-HSS

3.6 ± 1.3

2.8 ± 1.2

3.8 ± 1.1

–

Taycan, 2014 [81]

Turkey

Physicians (N = 139)

MBI-HSS

14.9 ± 7.0

5.8 ± 3.3

20.4 ± 3.9

Turgut, 2016 [82]

Turkey

Medical residents (N = 127)

MBI

1st year:32.1 ± 6.6

2nd year:32.3 ± 6.1

3rd year:29.6 ± 7.1

4th year:28.1 ± 6.1

1st year: 15.5 ± 3.3

2nd year: 15.9 ± 3.5

3rd year: 14.2 ± 3.1

4th year: 13.9 ± 2.8

1st year: 11.1 ± 6.4

2nd year: 9.5 ± 5.2

3rd year:10.0 ± 5.1

4th year: 8.8 ± 4.6

–

Tzischinsky, 2001 [83]

Israel

Medical residents (N = 78)

MBI

–

–

–

Beginning of residency:

2.31 ± 1.3

After 1 year:

2.75 ± 1.37

After 2 years: 2.03 ± 1.27