Balint Groups as a Resource for Burnout Prevention among Helping Professionals: a Literature Review

Relevance. Professional burnout remains one of the most acute problems faced by helping professionals. Emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced motivation can lead to serious consequences for both the specialists themselves and the quality of care they provide. This drives the growing interest in prevention methods that combine an evidence base with practical applicability. Intention. To conduct an analytical review of contemporary scientific research in order to systematize data demonstrating the effectiveness of Balint groups as a method for preventing professional burnout among helping professionals. Methodology. The review analyzed contemporary Russian and international publications on professional burnout and group-based prevention methods, including studies evaluating the outcomes of participation in Balint groups. The search was conducted in the databases eLIBRARY, PsyJournals, PubMed, and Google Scholar using keywords: professional burnout, helping professionals, Balint groups, emotional exhaustion, group psychotherapy, psychological support, professional identity, stress prevention. Publications from 2018–2024 that met the criteria of scientific validity and thematic relevance were included. Object. Scientific approaches to the prevention of professional burnout, with a focus on group reflection and emotional support. The theoretical framework integrates psychodiagnostic models of burnout and the principles of Balint group work. Results and discussion. The analysis confirmed that participation in Balint groups contributes to reducing the main symptoms of burnout and promotes the development of empathy, reflective skills, and professional identity. However, data on personal accomplishment remain inconsistent, and the long-term effectiveness and universality of the method require further research. Conclusion. Balint groups demonstrate effectiveness in reducing key burnout symptoms and developing reflective skills. Further research is required to verify the long-term outcomes, crossprofessional applicability, and methodological stability of this approach.