Burnout, Depression, and Job Stress Factors in Healthcare Workers of a Romanian COVID-19 Dedicated Hospital, after Two Pandemic Years.

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic put unprecedented pressure on all areas of activity, especially healthcare workers. Understanding the psychological response to the pandemic in healthcare workers is an important challenge. This study aims to investigate burnout, depression, and job stress factors in the medical personnel of a COVID-19-dedicated hospital, two years after the beginning of the pandemic. The survey was performed between the fifth and sixth pandemic waves in Romania. Employees of the Clinical Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Cluj-Napoca, completed an online survey using four tools Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), the Karasek Job factors questionnaire, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). A total of 114 employees completed the questionnaire (10.83% of total employees). The results showed 100% prevalence of Maslach burnout (56.1% moderate and severe burnout) and 63.1% prevalence of depression. The infectious disease resident doctors had the highest prevalence of burnout scores, depression, and perceived Karasek job demands. The 22- to 30-year-old age group and the group with fewer than ten years of professional experience had a significantly higher prevalence of burnout and depression than older employees or employees with more professional experience. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a high impact on the mental health of healthcare workers.