Factors associated with burnout in Polish healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has placed the healthcare system under substantial strain that has caused elevated psychological distress among healthcare workers (HCWs). Previous studies have found a high prevalence of burnout among HCWs exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and have delineated some associated factors, but further research is needed. Little is known, for example, whether the economic status of HCWs or experiencing negative and positive emotions contribute to burnout. The present study was meant to fill this gap. Methods: A total of 412 HCWs (i.e.: nurses - 47%, physicians-28%, psychologists-14%, and other healthcare professionals-11%), aged 21-69 years (M = 36.63; SD = 11.76) participated in a web-based cross-sectional study. Data was collected from June to November 2020. The participants filled out measures assessing two dimensions of burnout (Exhaustion and Disengagement), depression, generalized anxiety, positive and negative emotions, along with the survey evaluating organizational aspects of their work during the pandemic. Results: Burnout thresholds were met by 54 and 66% of respondents for Disengagement and Exhaustion, respectively, which is high but comparable to levels found in other countries during the pandemic. Similarly to previous work, depression and anxiety were high in HCWs, with 24 % of them being in the risk group for clinical severity of depression and 34% in the risk group for a clinical generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Regression analysis showed that the intensity of negative emotions was the strongest predictor of Exhaustion, whereas the intensity of positive emotions was the strongest predictor of Disengagement. Depression and GAD symptoms were positively related to Exhaustion, and economic status was inversely related to Disengagement. Discussion: These results suggest that distress in HCWs during the pandemic was related to symptoms of burnout, whereas higher income and experiencing positive emotions were associated with reduced burnout levels. Our findings call for the development of burnout intervention programs that could build capacities for dealing with depression and other negative emotions and at the same time teach skills on how to increase positive emotions in HCWs.

Eudaimonic and Hedonic Psychological Well-Being among Parents of Children with Cancer before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study.

The main aim of this study was to analyze the eudaimonic and hedonic well-being of parents of children with cancer by considering the role of a global stressor-the COVID-19 pandemic. One group of parents was assessed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the other was assessed before it occurred. It was hypothesized that there may be a cumulative effect of stress, with parents expressing lower well-being during the pandemic due to the accumulation of stress related to their child's illness and the pandemic. In total, 310 parents participated in the study. Following propensity score matching, 111 pairs were established. The results of the comparative analyses did not support the hypothesis, as the groups did not differ significantly in their reported levels of either eudaimonic (F (1.93) = 0.11, p = 0.75, ηp2= 0.001) or hedonic well-being (F (1.100) = 0.02, p = 0.89, ηp2 = 0.0001). These findings showed a limited effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being of parents of children with cancer. The oncological disease of a child is likely to be the central and the strongest factor for the parents, meaning that an additional, global stressor does not cause deeper exacerbation of their well-being.

Barriers and facilitators of willingness to vaccinate against COVID-19: Role of prosociality, authoritarianism and conspiracy mentality. A four-wave longitudinal study.

AIM: We investigated longitudinal relations between individual willingness to undergo vaccination against COVID-19 and three social factors: conspiracy mentality, prosociality, and authoritarianism. METHOD: This longitudinal study comprised four measurement points. The first wave sample included 1130 responses and was representative of the Polish population in terms of gender, age, and place of residence. Analyses were performed using random intercept cross-lagged panel models. RESULTS: We observed bidirectional positive cross-lagged relationships between prosociality and willingness to undergo vaccination in the first three waves of measurement. Authoritarianism and conspiracy mentality translated into a lower willingness to vaccinate between the third and fourth points of measurement when the vaccination became a near-term possibility. CONCLUSIONS: Eliciting prosocial motivation to vaccinate can be paramount in overcoming vaccine hesitancy. Because conspiracy thinking may be a crucial barrier to willingness to be vaccinated, it is critical to focus on planning interventions and campaigns undermining conspiracy theories about COVID-19.