Intervention of Snoezelen Rooms in reducing burnout among healthcare professionals: A pilot study

Background: Burnout among healthcare professionals is a significant concern, characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. This phenomenon adversely impacts the well-being of healthcare workers and compromises the quality of patient care. Effective interventions are needed to mitigate burnout and enhance the mental health of healthcare staff. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Snoezelen Rooms—multisensory environments designed to provide relaxation and stress relief—in reducing burnout among healthcare professionals. Methods: A sample of 20 healthcare professionals, including doctors and nurses, participated in this study. The participants had an average age of 44.19 years, and all were female with an average of 14 years of work experience. None of the participants were smokers or users of alcohol or drugs. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used to measure burnout levels before and after the intervention. Participants accessed the Snoezelen Rooms for 30-minute sessions twice a week over three months. These rooms were equipped with sensory devices such as bubble tubes, fiber optics, projectors, starry sky curtains, mirrors, sound and light walls, vibrating chairs, water beds, and aroma diffusers. Results: The analysis revealed a significant reduction in burnout levels among participants following the intervention. Emotional exhaustion scores decreased from 30.5 ± 6.2 to 20.1 ± 5.4, representing a 34.1% reduction (p<.001). Depersonalization scores dropped from 15.3 ± 4.7 to 10.4 ± 3.9, a reduction of 32.0% (p<.002). Additionally, personal accomplishment scores increased from 22.6 ± 5.3 to 28.9 ± 6.1, indicating a 27.9% improvement (p<.01). Conclusion: The use of Snoezelen Rooms proved to be an effective intervention for reducing burnout among healthcare professionals. The multisensory environments facilitated relaxation, reduced stress, and improved personal satisfaction. These findings suggest that integrating Snoezelen Rooms into healthcare settings could significantly enhance the well-being of medical staff and improve patient care quality. Further research is needed to confirm these results in larger and more diverse samples. Key words: Burnout; healthcare professionals; snoezelen room; stress reduction.