Heart rate variability and emotional burnout syndrome in firefighters

The aim of the study is to examine the parameters of heart rate variability and the peculiarities of emotional burnout syndrome in firefighters of Russian State Fire Service, Ministry of Emergency Situations (Russia), considering professional experience in the field. Materials and Methods. Heart rate variability and parameters of emotional burnout syndrome were evaluated in 240 firefighters (aged from 25 to 47), of the Tver branch of Russian State Fire Service, Ministry of Emergency Situations. Heart rate was studied with the help of the diagnostic complex “Credo" (Tver, Russia). V.V. Boyko questionnaire “Methods for identification emotional burnout level" was used to assess emotional burnout. Results. Assessment of the heart rhythm indicates that while mastering the specialty (during the first 6 years) there is a complex adaptation process, changes in functional capabilities and formation of physiological patterns under extreme working conditions, and gradual stabilization of regulatory mechanisms. At the stage when professionalism has been formed (from 7 to 15 years) optimizing of organism resources is observed, but they gradually reduce by the end of the period. Growing imbalance and disadaptation is peculiar to the last stage of firefighters' work (more than 15 years). Studying emotional burnout we no ticed that the majority of firefighters demonstrated the prevalence of the symptoms peculiar to the second phase, namely stability. Characteristics of the first phase (adaptation) and the third phase (exhaustion) are practically not revealed. Probably, the phase of stability, when certain models of behavior, e.g. reduced emotional profile, are formed allows to maintain psychophysiological resources under extreme conditions and to avoid exhaustion. Conclusion. The revealed interrelations between the heart rate parameters and emotional burnout prove that the emotional reduction can probably influence the increase in tension of adaptation systems, and rhythm rigidity. We suppose, that the latter can regulate ergotropic control contour consisting of su-persegmental central structures.