Burnout among Polish midwives: mediating role of satisfaction and dispositional optimism

Why this matters for mothers and families

Behind every birth, there is a midwife who stays calm through long shifts, urgent decisions, and powerful emotions. This study looks at how that constant pressure affects midwives in Poland, and what helps some of them stay well while others begin to feel drained and detached. Understanding their well-being is not only vital for the midwives themselves but also for the safety, comfort, and dignity of the mothers and babies they care for.

The hidden cost of caring for others

Midwives work in a profession built around a strong sense of mission: helping new life into the world. Yet this very mission can make them vulnerable to burnout – a state of emotional exhaustion, growing coldness toward others, and a painful feeling of not achieving enough. The researchers surveyed 98 Polish midwives using established questionnaires that measure burnout, satisfaction with work and life, and general outlook on the future. They found that, overall, burnout levels were moderate: many midwives were not in crisis, but a substantial number showed worrying signs of strain that could intensify if left unaddressed.

Who feels the strain the most

The study revealed that burnout does not fall evenly across all midwives. Those in their fifties reported more emotional fatigue than younger colleagues, and midwives with more than two decades of experience were more likely to feel distant and numb toward others. Limited free time – less than 21 hours a week away from work – was tied to higher exhaustion and overall burnout. Relationships at work also mattered: midwives who described their contacts with doctors as merely neutral, rather than clearly positive, tended to feel more worn out. Family difficulties at home added another layer of risk.

Work, life, and free time as safety valves

How midwives viewed their jobs and their lives turned out to be powerful buffers. On average, the group was dissatisfied with their work, and this dissatisfaction closely tracked feelings of burnout. Midwives who felt happier with life in general were much less likely to believe they were failing at their work. Those who could relax, and who had more free time during the week, reported lower emotional exhaustion. Interestingly, working in two different workplaces was linked with less emotional burnout than working only in one, suggesting that variety or different team cultures may protect against feeling trapped and depleted.

The power of optimism in a demanding job

A key psychological factor stood out: dispositional optimism, or the tendency to expect good things in the future. Midwives who tended toward optimism showed clearly lower overall burnout than those who leaned toward pessimism or held a neutral view. Optimists are more likely to look for practical solutions, seek support, and trust their colleagues and institutions. In the study’s statistical models, an optimistic outlook reduced burnout even after accounting for other influences, highlighting it as a crucial inner resource for coping with a taxing profession.

What can be done to protect midwives

The authors conclude that burnout among Polish midwives is a moderate but significant problem shaped by individual traits, relationships at work, and the way their jobs are organized. Higher burnout was especially common among midwives with a pessimistic outlook, limited free time, strained ties with doctors, and lower satisfaction with work and life. Protecting these essential professionals will require more than asking them to “toughen up.” Health systems and employers must redesign schedules, support healthier team relations, and offer meaningful programs that build optimism, relaxation skills, and realistic job satisfaction. By caring for midwives’ mental health, we ultimately safeguard the care provided to mothers and newborns.

Citation: Zborowska, A., Furtak-Pobrotyn, J., Pobrotyn, P. et al. Burnout among Polish midwives: mediating role of satisfaction and dispositional optimism. Sci Rep 16, 12849 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-43726-y

Keywords: midwife burnout, job satisfaction, life satisfaction, optimism, maternal care workforce