Burnout Syndrome among Healthcare Providers during Covid-19 Pandemic in Rural Tamil Nadu, South India: A Cross-Sectional Study

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The 2019 Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has been a serious global threat with numerous researches indicating that frontline healthcare personnel involved in its management and diagnosis are at risk of experiencing psychological disturbances and deteriorating mental health. By definition, “burnout is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed”. Burnout has been associated with increased mortality and morbidity. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of burnout syndrome and to determine the associated factors among healthcare providers in rural Tamilnadu during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A cross-sectional study was done among 120 healthcare providers from Sree Mookambika Institute of Medical Sciences, Tamil Nadu during July 2021. Participants selected by convenient sampling technique were given pre-tested Maslach Burnout Inventory- Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) questionnaire. Data were entered in MS Excel 2019 and analysis was done in SPSS v26.0. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were applied. Results: Mean age of the participants was 25.48±4.66 years. Among them, 46(38.3%) reported emotional exhaustion, 42(35%) depersonalization and 87(72.5%) reported a lower sense of personal accomplishment. The years of professional experience and the number of working hours per day were associated with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization (p<0.05). The different professional categories showed a significant 2 2association with Emotional Exhaustion (?=20.888,df=6, p=0.002) and Depersonalization (?=23.055,df=6. p=0.001) with high Burnout among doctors and nurses. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of addressing burnout among healthcare personnel. The issues should be prioritized by authorities to develop appropriate interventions.