Aumento del síndrome de burnout en los adjuntos de Medicina Interna durante la pandemia de COVID-19 Burnout syndrome increase during COVID-19 pandemic in attending Internal Medicine physicians

Introducción: El burnout es un síndrome psicosocial causado por situaciones estresantes en el ámbito laboral. Afecta al 30-60% de los profesionales médicos. El objetivo de este estudio es realizar un análisis comparativo de su frecuencia antes y después del brote de la COVID-19 en los médicos adjuntos de Medicina Interna españoles. Métodos: Se enviaron encuestas por correo electrónico y redes sociales integradas con el Maslach Burnout Inventory a los miembros de la Sociedad Española de Medicina Interna en 2019 y 2020. Resultados y conclusiones: Se ha observado un aumento no significativo de burnout (38,0% vs. 34,4%). Sin embargo, sí se constata un aumento en la baja realización personal (66,4% vs. 33,6%;p = 0,002), dimensión asociada a la prevención de la morbilidad psiquiátrica, además de otras dos: la fatiga emocional y la despersonalización, que pueden afectar negativamente a la atención del paciente. Por ello, es esencial abordar este síndrome Individual e institucionalmente.

Burn-out syndrome in Spanish internists during the COVID-19 outbreak and associated factors: a cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on mental health and burn-out syndrome in Spanish internists and the factors that could be related to its appearance. DESIGN: We performed an observational, cross-sectional, descriptive study for which we designed a survey that was distributed in May 2020. SETTING: We included internists who worked in Spain during the COVID-19 outbreak. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1015 internists responded to the survey. Of those 62.9% were women. RESULTS: Of 1015 people, 58.3% presented with high emotional exhaustion, 61.5% had a high level of depersonalisation and 67.6% reported low personal fulfilment. 40.1% presented with the 3 criteria described, and therefore burn-out syndrome.Burn-out syndrome was independently related to the management of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (HR: 2.26; 95% CI 1.15 to 4.45), the lack of availability of personal protective equipment (HR: 1.41; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.91), increased responsibility (HR: 2.13; 95% CI 1.51 to 3.01), not having received financial compensation for overtime work (HR: 0.43; 95% CI 0.31 to 0.62), not having rested after 24-hour shifts (HR: 1.61; 95% CI 1.09 to 2.38), not having had holidays in the previous 6 months (HR: 1.36; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.84), consumption of sleeping pills (HR: 1.83; 95% CI 1.28 to 2.63) and higher alcohol intake (HR: 1.95; 95% CI 1.39 to 2.73). CONCLUSIONS: During the COVID-19 outbreak, 40.1% of Internal Medicine physicians in Spain presented with burn-out syndrome, which was independently related to the assistance of patients with SARS-CoV-2, overworking without any compensation and the fear of being contagious to their relatives. Therefore, it is imperative to initiate programmes to prevent and treat burn-out in front-line physicians during the COVID-19 outbreak.