Burnout Across Healthcare, Educational, and Professional Populations: A Comprehensive Scoping Review

Nasr Chalghaf,1,2 Imed Chokri,1,3,4 Wissem Dhahbi,5,6,* Halil İbrahim Ceylan,7,* Nicola Luigi Bragazzi,8 Raul Ioan Muntean,9 Valentina Stefanica,10 Noomen Guelmami,2,11,* Ismail Dergaa11– 13,* 1Department of Education, High Institute of Sport, and Physical Education of Gafsa, University of Gafsa, Gafsa, Tunisia; 2Department of Health Sciences (DiSSal), Postgraduate School of Public Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; 3High Institute of Sport and Physical Education, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia; 4Research Laboratory, Education, Motricity, Sport and Health (EM2S), LR15JS01, High Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia; 5Research Unit “Sport Sciences, Health and Movement”, Higher Institute of Sports and Physical Education of Kef, University of Jendouba, Kef, Tunisia; 6Training Department, Police College, Police Academy, Doha, Qatar; 7Physical Education of Sports Teaching Department, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Atatürk University, Erzurum, Turkey; 8Laboratory for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (LIAM), Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University, Toronto, Canada; 9Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Law and Social Sciences, University “ 1 Decembrie 1918” of Alba Iulia, Alba Iulia, Romania; 10Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Sciences, Physical Education and Informatics, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, Pitești University Center, Pitești, Romania; 11Department of Social Sciences, High Institute of Sports and Physical Education of Kef, University of Jendouba, El Kef, Tunisia; 12Department of Biological Sciences, High Institute of Sport and Physical Education, Ksar Said, University of Manouba, Manouba, Tunisia; 13Physical Activity, Sport and Health Research Unit, UR18JS01, National Observatory of Sport, Tunis, Tunisia*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Halil İbrahim Ceylan, Email halil.ibrahimceylan60@gmail.com Raul Ioan Muntean, Email muntean.raul@uab.roBackground: Burnout, defined by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment, is increasingly recognized as a significant threat to staff wellbeing, organizational performance, and patient safety in healthcare and related sectors. Although research on burnout has grown rapidly, the evidence base remains fragmented, limiting understanding of cross-population patterns, measurement approaches, and the effectiveness of interventions.Objective: This scoping review systematically maps and synthesizes the existing literature on burnout among healthcare workers, students, teachers, night shift workers, and other professional populations, with particular emphasis on its implications for staff well-being and quality of care.Methods: Following Arksey and O’Malley’s framework and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, systematic searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane from inception to December 2024. Eligible studies used validated instruments to assess burnout. Data synthesis employed narrative thematic analysis and systematic literature mapping.Results: Sixty-five studies were included (healthcare workers n=29; students n=18; teachers n=9; night shift workers n=6; other populations n=3). Six key themes emerged: prevalence variations (25– 72%), with healthcare workers demonstrating the highest rates (35– 68%) and strongest associations with compromised patient safety; diversity of measurement tools; intervention effectiveness patterns, wherein combined individual-organizational approaches demonstrated superiority over single-component strategies (effect size d=0.67, 95% CI: 0.42– 0.91 at 12-month follow-up); organizational versus individual risk factors; temporal trends including COVID-19 impacts; and implementation challenges. Methodological heterogeneity limited cross-population comparability and the standardization of interventions.Conclusion: Burnout represents a critical occupational health and patient safety concern. This scoping review highlights significant gaps in cross-population research, the need for standardized measurement approaches, and the importance of multilevel, evidence-based interventions. The findings provide essential insights for researchers, healthcare administrators, and policymakers aiming to design sustainable strategies to protect staff wellbeing and ensure safe, high-quality care.Keywords: healthcare worker burnout, patient safety, staff wellbeing, academic burnout, occupational burnout, teacher burnout, burnout interventions, measurement tools, prevention strategies, scoping review