Physicians' Well-Being Top Ethics Issue

The article focuses on the Study to Examine Physicians' Pandemic Stress (STEPPS) which interviewed physicians experienced and responded to the unprecedented work conditions during the pandemic. Topics include moral stress and burnout caused by perpetuating racial and ethnic disparities due to institutional policies, stress caused by public resistance to vaccines, and the difficulties posed by constraints on transferring patients between hospitals.

Burnout in South Asian rheumatologists in the COVID-19 pandemic: an online survey.

Physician burnout is recognized as a global crisis and an epidemic. However, burnout in rheumatology is an understudied phenomenon. We explored the prevalence of physician burnout among rheumatologists from South Asia in the peri-pandemic period (2021-2022). Rheumatologists from Asian countries were invited to participate in an anonymized, validated, and pilot-tested e-survey via social media platforms from December 2021 to April 2022. Demographic information, social aspects (marital status, income, vacation time, daily exercise), substance abuse, EHR (electronic health record) use, and years in practice were obtained. In addition, burnout was estimated using Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel (MBI-HSS) in three domains: emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and personal accomplishment (PA), and intergroup comparisons were made using independent t test and one-way ANOVA using SPSS v27. Of 146 respondents who participated in the survey, 134 belonged to Asian nations. The highest number of respondents was from Pakistan (56/134, 38.36%), followed by India (49/134, 33.56%). Slightly more respondents were male, 75 (51.4%), than females, 71 (48.6%). Over two-thirds of our respondents (99/134, 67.8%) reported burnout in at least one domain. Notably, we found statistically significant increased depersonalization scores in males. (P < 0.05). Females scored significantly higher on the following items: #5 (I feel I treat some patients as if they were impersonal objects), item# 10 (I've become more insensitive toward people since I took this job and item#22 (I feel patients blame me for some of their problems) (P < 0.05). We found differences in monthly salaries among South Asian (1484 ± 2717 USD) and non-South Asian respondents (5672 ± 8874 USD) (P < 0.01). A substantial proportion of rheumatologists in our survey report burnout, suggesting a felt need to introduce organizational measures to prevent and mitigate burnout and preserve the rheumatology workforce.

Stress and Occupational Burnout of Nurses Working with COVID-19 Patients.

COVID-19 pandemic brings many challenges to the daily work of nurses. While carrying out professional tasks for patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, nurses experience tremendous psychological pressure due to their workload in a high-risk environment. This causes severe stress and leads to occupational burnout. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of stress and occupational burnout among surveyed nurses working with patients with COVID-19. A total of 118 nurses working with patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus participated in the study. Among the respondents, there were 94.9% women and 5.1% men. The average age of the respondents was 38.1 +/- 2.1. The survey was conducted between April and May 2022. The research tool was a survey questionnaire, consisting of three parts: sociodemographic data and self-administered survey questionnaire containing questions about the specifics of working with COVID-19 patients. The third part was a standardized tool: the MBI Burnout Questionnaire by Christina Maslach. Participation in the study was anonymous and voluntary. Statistical analysis for independence of variables used the Chi-square test. On the other hand, coefficients based on the Phi test and Kramer's V test, as well as non-parametric Mann-Whitney U-test (for 2 samples) and Kruskal-Wallis test (for more than 2 samples) were used to determine the strength of the relationship. During these analyses, in addition to standard statistical significance, the corresponding "p" values were calculated using the Monte Carlo method. The results obtained allow us to conclude that surveyed nurses working with COVID-19 patients are exposed to various stressors leading to occupational burnout. The vast majority of respondents, i.e., 90.7%, believe that stress is an integral part of the nursing profession and the average of MBI burnout among respondents was 55.67 +/- 9.77 pts., emotional exhaustion 24.74 +/- 6.11, depersonalization 12.42 +/- 2.99 and a sense of personal achievement 18.52 +/- 4.50 which means that only slightly more than half of the nurses surveyed noticed symptoms of occupational burnout themselves. The research has revealed that working with a patient who is positive for COVID-19 is a cause of stress and is related to experiencing symptoms of burnout in the group of surveyed nurses.

Burnout, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress among Family Physicians in Kansas: 18 Months into the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: Given the significant turmoil during the COVID-19 pandemic, the authors evaluated burnout and other types of emotional distress experienced by family physicians in Kansas during the second year of the pandemic. The authors compared findings of this study to a similar study conducted 3 months into the pandemic. Method(s): A cross-sectional online survey of 272 actively practicing family physicians in Kansas was conducted from September 15 to October 18, 2021. A 34-item questionnaire was used to measure the physicians' levels of burnout, personal depression, anxiety, and stress. A mixed method approach was used to collect, analyze, and interpret the data. Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U test/independent samples t-test, v2, adjusted odds ratio, and immersion-crystallization methods were used to analyze the data. Result(s): The response rate was 48.9% (n = 133). In aggregate, 69.2% of respondents reported at least 1 manifestation of professional burnout in 2021 compared with 50.4% in 2020;P <= .01). The 2021 respondents were at higher odds of experiencing burnout compared with 2020 respondents (aOR = 1.86;95% CI, 1.00 to 3.57;P = .046). The respondents who reported at least 1 manifestation of professional burnout were more likely to screen positive for depression (aOR = 1.87;95% CI, 1.31-2.66;P <= .01), report higher levels of anxiety (aOR = 1.53;95% CI, 1.04-2.24;P = .013), and higher levels of stress (aOR = 1.39;95% CI, 1.17-1.66;P <= .001). Conclusion(s): As the COVID-19 pandemic continued, there are significant and worsening rates of professional burnout and other forms of emotional distress among family physicians. These findings suggest timely need for appropriate psychological supports. Copyright © 2022 American Board of Family Medicine. All rights reserved.

Adult attachment insecurity and responses to prolonged severe occupational stress in hospital workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The stress response includes appraisal of the threat and one's resources, coping (including interpersonal interactions), distress, and recovery. Relationships between patterns of adult attachment and stress response have received little study in the context of prolonged, severe occupational stress, limiting knowledge about how attachment patterns contribute to occupational burnout and recovery. Aim: This study aimed to assess the relationship of adult attachment to aspects of the stress response over time in hospital workers during a pandemic. Methods: This study included 538 hospital workers within a general and a rehabilitation hospital in Toronto, Canada between September 2020 and November 2021. Half, selected at random, completed validated measures of adult attachment, resilience, self-efficacy, coping, interpersonal problems, and various stress outcomes. Attachment insecurity severity was calculated as the vector addition of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance. Correlations between these measures were determined at individual time-points and temporal patterns of adverse outcomes using repeated-measures ANOVA. Results: All correlations between measures of attachment and resilience or self-efficacy were significant and moderately strong (r = .30-.48), while most correlations with coping strategies were weak (<.20). Attachment avoidance was more strongly correlated with interpersonal problems related to being cold, whereas attachment anxiety was more strongly correlated with problems related to being intrusive, overly-nurturant, exploitable and non-assertive. Attachment insecurity severity was moderately correlated with every dimension of interpersonal problems. A significant main effect of each attachment measure on each stress outcome was found (effects sizes: .18-.26). Attachment insecurity severity was significantly associated with outcome X time interactions for burnout, consistent with greater resilience for those with lower attachment insecurity. Conclusions: Severity of insecure attachment was correlated with each measure of self-appraisal, interpersonal problems, and all measured stress outcomes. Severity of attachment insecurity performed well as a summary attachment measure. Greater security is associated with patterns of recovery that indicate resilience.

Evaluation of work conditions of nurses employed in a shift system in hospital wards during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Nurses work in a shift system that determines the provision of round-the-clock care of a patient in hospital conditions; however, it entails health consequences. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was the evaluation of work conditions of nurses engaged in shift work in hospital wards during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The study was conducted in 2020, and included 108 nurses working in a shift system in hospital wards. The research method was a diagnostic survey, using an author-constructed questionnaire. RESULTS: 88.9% nurses reported a negative effect of shift work on their physical health: 'musculoskeletal pain', 'elevated arterial blood pressure', and 'hormonal disorders' - 54.5% of respondents used pharmacological treatment. The causes of physical disorders were: 'microclimate', 'physical effort', 'noise', and 'forced body position'. Shift work exerted a negative effect on psychological health of the majority of respondents (75.0%): 'deconcentration', 'sleep disorders', 'feeling of occupational burnout' - treatment in 38.9% of respondents. Psychological health disorders were caused by: 'circadian rhythms disturbance by shift work', 'chronic stresses', and 'conflicts at work'. 69.7% of respondents reported that their shift work was disturbed by organizational factors, including: a 'badly planned work schedule', 'enhanced pace of work due to staff shortage', 'ambiguous division of duties, rights, responsibilities', 'shortages of equipment at the workplace'. CONCLUSION: The examined nurses experienced a negative effect of shift work on their physical and psychological health which, for some of them, was the cause of pharmacological treatment. Many organizational factors hindered the work of nurses in a shift system in hospital wards.

Burnout and Commitment After 18 Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Follow-Up Qualitative Study with Primary Care Teams.

BACKGROUND: Primary care practice teams continue to grapple with the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic. Early in the pandemic, despite the increased demands and low levels of control, in practices where protective equipment were available and practice-level support was high, few team members reported burnout, and many described a greater sense of purpose. However, since those early days, burnout levels have increased and high rates of turnover have been reported across the health care system, and further qualitative studies are needed. OBJECTIVE: The present study is a follow-up to a qualitative study on the workplace stress during the pandemic. DESIGN, PARTICIPANTS, APPROACH: Fourteen primary care providers and staff completed 1-year follow-up semistructured interviews (approximately 1.5 years into the pandemic) about their workplace demands, control, social support, burnout, and commitment to primary care. PRIMARY RESULTS: Primary care practice was characterized as high demand before the pandemic but the additional demands of the pandemic were leading participants to consider early retirement, quitting primary care or health care, and expressing a profound need for health care redesign. Short staffing extended medical leaves for COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 needs, increased management of patient mental health and aggressive behaviors, and frustration that practices were being held to prepandemic metrics all contributed to ever higher rates of burnout. Troublingly, while many described high-quality relationships at the practice level, the majority of participants described their organization-level support as largely unresponsive to their input and as offering little support or resources, though a few acknowledged that this could reflect that leadership is also under immense strain. Despite challenges, a number of participants expressed continued commitment to primary care. CONCLUSION: Fundamental redesign of primary care is required to prevent further loss of health care personnel and to provide opportunities for these staff to recover during the grueling, ongoing crisis.

Psychosocial Burden and Quality of Life of Surveyed Nurses during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic.

This study analyzes the impact of occupational burnout on the quality of life (QOL) of nurses surveyed during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. A total of 668 active nurses employed in public hospitals in Podkarpackie voivodeship (Poland) were surveyed. Throughout the pandemic, all wards where responders worked had a division into so-called "clean" and "dirty" zones, as well as balanced working hours. The research used the authors' survey questionnaire Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the Polish version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF). Descriptive statistics were used in the analysis of the collected material, while correlations between ordinal or quantitative variables were made using Spearman's-rho coefficient. According to 94.0% of respondents, stress is an integral part of the nursing profession. The mean of the respondents' MBI burnout was 50.83 +/- 9.05 pts. The respondents' overall quality of life also averaged 65.74 +/- 13.12 pts. There were negative statistically significant correlations between the MBI and BREF domains, most of which were characterized by clear strengths of association. Higher exhaustion in various occupational aspects is associated with poorer quality of life in individual domains.

Characteristics of Occupational Burnout among Nurses of Various Specialties and in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic-Review.

Occupational burnout is particularly common among nurses due to their work being associated with stress, showing understanding, compassion, and commitment, along with the simultaneous need to maintain the necessary emotional distance. The aim of this review was to assess the occurrence and characterization of burnout among nurses working within neurology, geriatric care, intensive care units and with patients infected with the novel COVID-19 virus. PRISMA guidelines were used to conduct the review. The search for literature was limited to articles meeting the inclusion criteria and published from 2017 to 2022 in PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Wiley. A total of 768 articles from this category have been found. Ultimately, after in-depth analysis, 20 articles were included in the study. The group of respondents ranged from 49 to 3100 participants. According to the data, the percentages of nurses suffering from burnout in the presented research ranged from 14.3% to 84.7%, with the highest value of burnout among nurses who worked in the ICU during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are certain factors among nurses that significantly affect the occurrence of burnout. These include, among others, working time, age, exposure to infection and contact with infected patients, lack of training on COVID-19 prevention, providing care to an increased number of COVID-19 patients per shift, lack of personal protective equipment, lack of support of administration, lack of pay satisfaction, intrinsic motivation and turnover intention.

Relationship Between Moral Intelligence and Occupational Burnout in Mazandaran Pre-Hospital Emergency Staff During COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background and purpose: COVID-19 pandemic caused high workload and led to high levels of burnout in medical staff including emergency medical personnel. Identifying and preventing occupational burnout can efficiently improve mental health in workplace and enhance the quality of services delivered. This research aimed to investigate the relationship between occupational burnout and moral intelligence in emergency medical staff. Materials and methods: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in 250 prehospital emergency staff in Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, 2021. The participants were selected from emergency bases using stratified sampling. Data were collected using demographic characteristics checklist, Moral Intelligence Scale (Lennick & Kiel), and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Structural equation and maximum likelihood model were applied. Data analyses were carried out in SPSS 23 and Amos 24. Results: The mean scores for moral intelligence and burnout were 81.10±8.30 and 44.41±13.73, respectively. Every one point increase in moral intelligence score decreased burnout score by 1.55 (P=0.054). Significant relationships were seen between all dimensions of Moral Intelligence Scale and moral intelligence (P<0.001). Keeping promises (r=0.82, P<0.001) and the ability to let go of one’s own mistakes (r=0.79, P<0.001) were found to be highly correlated with moral intelligence. In MBI, only personal accomplishment showed a significant positive correlation coefficient with burnout (r=0.41, P=0.026). Conclusion: In this study, improvements in moral intelligence score decreased the burnout score. Therefore, improving moral intelligence, as an acquired ability, in emergency medical personnel can reduce the levels of burnout experienced. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences (JMUMS) is the property of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Burnout, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Among Family Physicians in Kansas: 18 Months into the COVID-19 Pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: Given the significant turmoil during the COVID-19 pandemic, the authors evaluated burnout and other types of emotional distress experienced by family physicians in Kansas during the second year of the pandemic. The authors compared findings of this study to a similar study conducted 3 months into the pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey of 272 actively practicing family physicians in Kansas was conducted from September 15 to October 18, 2021. A 34-item questionnaire was used to measure the physicians' levels of burnout, personal depression, anxiety, and stress. A mixed method approach was used to collect, analyze, and interpret the data. Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U test/independent samples t-test, χ2, adjusted odds ratio, and immersion-crystallization methods were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The response rate was 48.9% (n = 133). In aggregate, 69.2% of respondents reported at least 1 manifestation of professional burnout in 2021 compared with 50.4% in 2020; P ≤ .01). The 2021 respondents were at higher odds of experiencing burnout compared with 2020 respondents (aOR = 1.86; 95% CI, 1.00 to 3.57; P = .046). The respondents who reported at least 1 manifestation of professional burnout were more likely to screen positive for depression (aOR = 1.87; 95% CI, 1.31-2.66; P ≤ .01), report higher levels of anxiety (aOR = 1.53; 95% CI, 1.04-2.24; P = .013), and higher levels of stress (aOR = 1.39; 95% CI, 1.17-1.66; P ≤ .001). CONCLUSION: As the COVID-19 pandemic continued, there are significant and worsening rates of professional burnout and other forms of emotional distress among family physicians. These findings suggest timely need for appropriate psychological supports.

Burnout of Healthcare Professionals Working in COVID-19 Contact Tracing Teams

Objectives: This study aims to determine the burnout level of healthcare professionals who worked in the contact tracing teams during the pandemic and the factors affecting it. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, healthcare professionals working in the contact tracing teams of health districts in Istanbul between March and June 2020 were included. The questionnaire created over Google Forms was shared via social media (WhatsApp) groups of the teams in all districts in Istanbul. In the first part of the questionnaire, working conditions during the pandemic and the psychosocial effects of the pandemic were questioned. The data obtained via Maslach Burnout Scale were analyzed statistically in the second part. Results: Of the 485 participants, 350 (72.2%) were females, and 280 (57.7%) were dentists. The weekly average working time was 36.0 (1.0–117.0) h. The median score for emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and personal achievement was 31.0 (20.0–39.0), 12.0 (4.0–24.0), and 27.0 (14.0–40.0), respectively. There was a negative correlation between age and EE and DP (r=-0.128, p=0.005 and r=-0.254, p<0.001, respectively), and a positive correlation between age personal achievement (r=0.157, p=0.001). EE and DP were positively correlated with working duration (r=0.287, p<0.001 and r=0.177, p<0.001, respectively). Being away from home and experiencing disruption in the care of relatives significantly increased EE (p=0.009 and p=0.005, respectively). Conclusion: Factors affecting burnout in healthcare workers are psychosocial problems rather than intense working conditions. Providing social and psychological support to healthcare professionals and their families can be effective in dealing with burnout. ©Copyright 2022 by Anatolian Journal of Family Medicine

Occupational burnout and stress of nurses in Taiwan regarding COVID-19: An intervention with gong medication.

AIMS: This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of gong meditation on nurses' perceived stress and occupational burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. BACKGROUND: Nurses play an important role in hospitals, and they currently encounter additional stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN AND METHODS: In this experimental study, participants were provided intervention with seven sections of gong meditation, and each session lasted for approximately 50-60 min. Data were collected from July 2020 to February 2021. Eighty nurses were randomly assigned to the experimental or control group, and 79 completed all the processes of our protocol. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used in data analysis. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the experimental group experienced significant improvements in stress and occupational burnout. CONCLUSIONS: Gong meditation can effectively alleviate stress and occupational burnout among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Gong meditation can be provided by hospital managers to all nurses to reduce their stress, occupational burnout and subsequent mental health problems. Additionally, we suggest that gong meditation can be used as an effective intervention for individuals in other occupational fields, as it is accessible and inexpensive intervention.

Resilience, occupational burnout, and parenting stress in nurses caring for COVID-19 patients

Introduction: Care of patients with coronavirus disease may have an impact on the occupational burnout, resilience, and parenting of nurses. The study was performed to evaluate occupational burnout, resilience, and parenting stress in nurses caring for COVID-19 patients. Material and methods: This cross-sectional study was based on Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement. A total of 630 nurses caring for COVID-19 patients in 5 hospitals were selected via convenience sampling. Participants completed the scales online. Data were analyzed in SPSS v. 22. Results: A total of 420 nurses completed and returned the questionnaires. The resilience mean score of the nurses who participated in the present study was 32.33 +/- 2.57 and the occupational burnout mean score was 32.33 +/- 2.57. Also, the parenting stress mean score of the 310 nurses who were married and had children was found to be 17.53 +/- 1.58 during the COVID-19 crisis. Occupational burnout has a negative correlation with resilience and a positive correlation with parenting stress and can predict 61.32% of changes in the occupational burnout variance of nurses Conclusions: Resilience, parenting stress, marital status, number of children, employment status, and gender predicted a high percentage of the nurses' occupational burnout variance. The nurse managers should use these findings to provide appropriate environments for nurses, to develop more comprehensive plans in support of nurses for the current and future crises.

Occurrence of Professional Burnout and Severity of Depressive Symptoms among Cardiac Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Nurses with depression are not only likely to suffer themselves, but it may have an impact on their coworkers and potentially the quality of care they provide. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of depression and its association with burnout in cardiac nurses. A group of 400 cardiac nurses (361 women and 39 men) was enrolled. The standardized tools such as Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Patient Health Questionaire-9 (PHQ-9) were used. A high level of professional burnout regarding emotional exhaustion was observed in 53.3% of nurses, high depersonalization in 52.5%, and low personal accomplishment in 72.8%. PHQ-9 and BDI were shown to correlate significantly and positively with all three MBI subscales (p < 0.05). High depressive symptoms and occupational burnout were correlated with depression (p < 0.05). In conclusion, nurses were found to have high levels of depression and professional burnout, which may have resulted in a negative impact on the quality of patient care. Identification of burnout in cardiac nurses is necessary to consider interventions to prevent stress and depression.

Polish Emergency Dispatchers During a COVID-19 Pandemic - Burnout Syndrome, Perceived Stress, and Self-Efficacy. Effects of Multidimensional Path Analysis.

International research has demonstrated that emergency call operators face unique risks to their mental health, in particular job stress, and occupational burnout syndrome. There is already wide knowledge about the relationship between stress, burnout and employee personal resources, which has practical application in preventing mental health. However, more research into the subtle relationships between variables is needed. The aim of the study was to check the moderation effect of differences in the intensity of latent variables on the relationship between perceived stress, self-efficacy and professional burnout. The participants were 546 call-takers and dispatchers from 14 public-safety answering point in Poland aged between 19 and 65 years. The Link Burnout Questionnaire, the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale, the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale, and an independent questionnaire were used to gather information. The method of path analysis was used. The study confirmed the existence of negative relationships between perceived stress (assessment of the current situation) and self-efficacy (a personal trait). Taking into account the moderating effect of latent variable: psychological comfort revealed a hidden relationship between stress and burnout. The stress-burnout relationship occurred only among participants with low level of psychological comfort, so it was not a proportional relationship. In the case of participants with a high level of second latent variable: power-to-affect, the hypothesis that a high level of this variable should weaken the relationship between stress and burnout was not confirmed. The level of latent variables did not affect the self-efficacy relationship with occupational burnout. Taking into account the differences in the intensity of latent variables showed their moderating effect, which often turned out to be different from the assumed one and obtained in the research of other authors. This allowed to discover the relationships that might otherwise have been overlooked and not included in burnout prevention. The results showed a high level of occupational burnout in the ECD's group during the COVID-19 pandemic: 32% of the responders reported emotional exhaustion, 53% loss of professional effectiveness.

Job Stress, Psychological Capital, Perceived Social Support, and Occupational Burnout Among Hospital Nurses.

PURPOSE: To determine the structural relationships among nurses' occupational burnout, job stress, psychological capital, and perceived support from society. DESIGN: A cross-sectional design was performed to collect data from 766 registered nurses in three general tertiary Class A hospitals from March to August 2018. METHODS: Structural equation modeling was performed to examine the proposed model. FINDINGS: The research data supported the proposed model. Psychological capital, job stress, and perceived social support significantly influenced occupational burnout. Job stress indirectly influenced burnout through perceived social support and psychological capital. The influencing factors accounted for 49% of the variance in explaining burnout. CONCLUSIONS: The findings identified structural relationships among the four studied variables. This study provides new information regarding the preventive role of perceived social support and psychological capital, which perform the mediating role between job stress and occupational burnout. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Nursing administrators should provide a healthy work environment, effective psychological capital training, and assistance to reduce nurses' occupational burnout.

Beyond the physical risk: Psychosocial impact and coping in healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the psychosocial impact and identify risk factors for poor psychosocial outcomes in healthcare professionals during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Cyprus. BACKGROUND: Healthcare professionals are in the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic facing an unprecedented global health crisis, which can have consequences on their psychosocial health. There is a need to identify risk factors for poor psychosocial outcomes to inform the design of tailored psychological interventions. DESIGN: Cross-sectional online study. METHODS: A total of 1071 healthcare professionals completed self-report questionnaires. Measures included sociodemographic information, COVID-19-related characteristics, quality of life (Brief World Health Organization Quality of Life; WHOQOL-Bref), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7; GAD-7), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-8; PHQ-8), occupational burnout (Copenhagen Burnout Inventory; CBI), and coping (Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced; Brief COPE). This article follows the STROBE reporting guidelines. RESULTS: The prevalence of moderate to severe anxiety and clinically significant depression was 27.6% and 26.8%, respectively. Significant risk factors for poor psychological outcomes included being female, being a nurse or doctor (vs non-medical professional), working in frontline units (inpatient, intensive care), perceptions of inadequate workplace preparation to deal with the pandemic, and using avoidance coping. Depression and occupational burnout were significant risk factors for poor quality of life. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest several individual, psychosocial, and organisational risk factors for the adverse psychological outcomes observed in healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This study highlights the urgent need for screening for anxiety and depression and psychological interventions to combat an imminent mental health crisis in healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pandemic response protocols and public health initiatives aiming to improve and prevent mental health problems in healthcare professionals during the current and future health crises, need to account for the various factors at play.

Burnout, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Among Family Physicians in Kansas Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 has spread rapidly, with vast global implications. This study assessed how family physicians in Kansas were responding to COVID-19 and the effects of the pandemic on their well-being. METHODS: The authors conducted a cross-sectional survey of 113 family physicians in Kansas between May 22, 2020 and June 25, 2020. The study participants completed an anonymous, 36-item survey assessing their concerns about being exposed to COVID-19 and levels of personal depression, anxiety, stress, and burnout in addition to demographic information. RESULTS: There was a 45.6% response rate, with 50.4% (n = 57) of the respondents reporting manifestations of burnout. The physicians who personally treated any presumptive or confirmed COVID-19 patient, compared with those who did not, were more likely to report at least 1 manifestation of burnout, experience emotional exhaustion, and feel a higher level of personal stress. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that the COVID-19 pandemic may be taking an emotional toll on family physicians in Kansas. This study provides a baseline from which to continue further monitoring of outcomes. Data can help drive initiatives at local, state, and national levels to help diminish the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physicians.

Occupational burnout and job satisfaction among physicians in times of COVID-19 crisis: a convergent parallel mixed-method study.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare professionals including physicians were subjected to an increased workload during the COVID-19 crisis, leaving them exposed to significant physical and psychological distress. Therefore, our present study aimed to (i) assess the prevalence of burnout and levels of job satisfaction among physicians in Jordan, and (ii) explore physicians' opinions, experiences, and perceptions during the pandemic crisis. METHODS: This was a mixed-method study that utilized a structured web-based questionnaire and semi-structured individual interviews. The 10-Item Burnout Measure-Short version (BMS), and the 5-Item Short Index of Job Satisfaction (SIJS) were adopted to assess occupational burnout and job satisfaction, respectively. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, based on a conceptual framework that was developed from Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory of Motivation and Job Demands-Resources Model. Descriptive statistics and regression models, as well as inductive thematic analysis, were used to analyze quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 973 survey responses and 11 interviews were included in our analysis. The prevalence of burnout among physicians was (57.7%). Several significant factors were positively associated with burnout, including female gender, working at highly loaded hospitals, working for long hours, doing night shifts, lack of sufficient access to personal protective equipment, and being positively tested for SARS-CoV-2. Regarding job satisfaction, regression analysis revealed that age was positively associated with higher levels of job satisfaction. On contrary, being a general practitioner or specialist, working at highly loaded hospitals, low salaries, and suffering from burnout have predicted lower levels of job satisfaction. Besides, four themes have emerged from the thematic analysis: (i) Work-induced psychological distress during the pandemic, (ii) Decision-driven satisfactory and dissatisfactory experiences, (iii) Impact of the pandemic on doctor-patient communication and professional skills, and (iv) Economic impacts of the pandemic crisis and lockdown. CONCLUSION: A significant physical and psychological burden was associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Reliable efforts should be implemented aiming at protecting physicians' physical and mental wellbeing, enhancing their working conditions, and raising awareness about burnout. Evidence-based decisions and proper utilization of financial and human resources at institutional and national levels are believed to be crucial for the sustainability of the health workforce, especially in crises.