scholarly journals Tired, Worried and Burned Out, but Still Resilient: A Cross-Sectional Study of Mental Health Workers in the UK during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author(s):  
Sofia Pappa ◽  
Joshua Barnett ◽  
Ines Berges ◽  
Nikolaos Sakkas

The burden of the COVID-19 pandemic on health systems and the physical and mental health of healthcare workers (HCWs) has been substantial. This cross-sectional study aims to assess the effects of COVID-19 on the psychological wellbeing of mental health workers who provide care to a vulnerable patient population that have been particularly affected during this crisis. A total of 387 HCWs from across a large urban mental health service completed a self-administered questionnaire consisting of socio-demographic, lifestyle and work-based information and validated psychometric scales. Depression and anxiety were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), respectively; sleep problems with the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS); burnout with the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI); and resilience with the Resilience Scale-14 (RS-14). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to determine potential mediating factors. Prevalence of burnout was notable, with 52% recording moderate/severe in Emotional Exhaustion, 19.5% moderate/severe in Depersonalisation, and 55.5% low/moderate Personal Accomplishment. Over half of all respondents (52%) experienced sleep problems; the presence of depressive symptoms was a significant predictor of insomnia. An increase in potentially harmful lifestyle changes, such as smoking, alcohol consumption and overeating was also observed. However, high Resilience was reported by 70% of the samples and the importance of this is highlighted. Female gender was associated with increased levels of depression and emotional exhaustion while those with a history of mental health conditions were most at risk of affective symptoms, insomnia, and burnout. Overall, our study revealed considerable levels of psychological distress and maladaptive coping strategies but also resilience and satisfaction with organizational support provided. Findings can inform tailored interventions in order to mitigate vulnerability and prevent long-term psychological sequelae.

Author(s):  
Sofia Pappa ◽  
Joshua Barnett ◽  
Ines Berges ◽  
Nikolaos Sakkas

The burden of COVID-19 pandemic on health systems and the physical and mental health of healthcare workers (HCWs) has been substantial. This cross-sectional study aims to assess the effects of Covid-19 on the psychological wellbeing of mental health workers who provide care to a vulnerable patient population that have been particularly affected during this crisis. A total of 387 HCWs from across a large urban mental health service completed a self-administered questionnaire consisting of socio-demographic, lifestyle and work-based information and validated psychometric scales. Depression and anxiety were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) respectively, sleep problems with the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), burnout with the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and resilience with the Resilience Scale-14 (RS-14). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to determine potential mediating factors. Prevalence of burnout was notable, with 52% recording moderate/severe in Emotional Exhaustion, 19.5% moderate/severe in Depersonalisation and 55.5% low/moderate Personal Accomplishment. Over half of all respondents (52%) experienced sleep problems; the presence of depressive symptoms was a significant predictor of insomnia. An increase in potentially harmful lifestyle changes, such as smoking, alcohol consumption and over-eating was also observed. However, high Resilience was reported by 70% of the sample and the importance of this is highlighted. Female gender was associated with increased levels of depression and emotional exhaustion while those with a history of mental health conditions were most at risk of affective symptoms, insomnia and burnout. Overall, our study revealed considerable levels of psychological distress and maladaptive coping strategies but also resilience and satisfaction with organizational support provided. Findings can inform tailored interventions in order to mitigate vulnerability and prevent long-term psychological sequelae.


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 429-435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuda Muyambi ◽  
Ruth McPhail ◽  
Kathryn Cronin ◽  
Marianne Gillam ◽  
Lee Martinez ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Abdelghani ◽  
Hayam M. El-Gohary ◽  
Eman Fouad ◽  
Mervat S. Hassan

Abstract Background Physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic are working under relentless stress. This study aimed to identify the impact of the perceived fears of COVID-19 virus infection on the quality of life and the emergence of burnout syndrome among physicians in Egypt during the COVID-19 outbreak. This cross-sectional study was conducted between May 10th and June 9th, 2020, and included 320 Egyptian physicians who were working during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants were interviewed using the Fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19S), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Maslach Burnout Inventory, and World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL-BREF) for assessment of the perceived fears of COVID-19 virus infection, associated anxiety and depressive symptoms, burnout symptoms, and quality of life, respectively. Results Overall, most physicians were females (63%). Ideas about death, moderate-to-severe anxiety, and depressive symptoms were reported by 11, 28, and 29% of physicians, respectively. For burnout symptoms, high emotional exhaustion, high depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment were reported by 20, 71, and 39% of physicians, respectively. The perceived fear of COVID-19 virus infection was positively correlated with anxiety, depression, and burnout emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization symptoms, and negatively correlated with personal accomplishment and all quality of life domains. Conclusions Egyptian physicians experienced higher levels of COVID-19-related fears, anxiety, and depressive and burnout symptoms. There was a robust correlation between these perceived fears, and higher burnout symptoms, and poor quality of life among physicians. Specific interventions should be tailored to minimize the physical and mental burdens on the physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaolin Liu ◽  
Hongjin Zhu

Abstract Background Mental health workers may face more obstacles in humanistic care during the COVID-19 pandemic, we aimed to explore the humanistic care ability of mental health workers and its potential influencing factors.Method(s) An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among 262 mental health workers working in Chongqing, China from December 1 to 31, 2020. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data from the participants. Results Mental health workers’ humanistic care ability score was 186.47 ± 21.34, and most of the them (79.8%) were at a low level. Psychological capital and personality traits were significant influencing factors of humanistic care ability and its sub-dimensions.Conclusion(s) Research has found that the humanistic care ability of mental health workers is at a low level, and psychological capital and personality traits are significant factors influencing the humanistic care ability and its sub-dimensions. Interventions to improve psychological capital of mental health workers or to promote the change of personality traits that they want are recommended, thereby promoting humanistic practice.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriano Friganović ◽  
Polona Selič

Background: Burnout syndrome occurs in people who work in jobs which involve frequent and intense contact with people, especially healthcare workers. High dependency departments such as critical care units are very stressful environments, and this can lead to a greater incidence of burnout, especially of emotional exhaustion and poor personal accomplishment. Nurses are the largest group of healthcare workers, and so it is reasonable to expect they would have a high prevalence of burnout.Subjects and methods: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of burnout in critical care nurses in Croatia and explore its association with demographic features. A cross-sectional study of 620 nurses was conducted in several university hospitals, using convenience sampling. The Maslach Burnout Inventory was administered, together with questions about the sociodemographic and work characteristics of the participants (age, gender, length of work in ICU, education, type of ICU).Results: The majority of the sample were female nursing staff (87.7%), aged 26-35 (38.9%). The results showed that approximately every fifth nurse (22.1%) expressed a high emotional exhaustion (EE), with lesser burden of a high depersonalisation (D) in 7.9%, yet every third nurse (34.5%) scored low on PA. Male nurses reported more depersonalisation (p=0.045), yet neither EE nor the PA dimensions differed by gender.Conclusion: The results of this study concerning burnout are comparable to those of studies of other professions, but the results vary with regard to the sample and the working conditions of the countries.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 1956
Author(s):  
Mahsa Kamali ◽  
Ahmad Kalateh Sadati ◽  
Mohammad Reza Khademi ◽  
Sulmaz Ghahramani ◽  
Leila Zarei ◽  
...  

Background: The function of healthcare workers, particularly nursing staff, in taking care of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, cannot be overemphasized. As the pandemic lasts, burnout among the nursing staff needs to be considered as an important challenge. This was aimed to assess the nurses’ burnout and factors affecting this variable. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, Maslach Burnout Inventory was completed by 261 nurses in Shiraz hospitals (Iran) in April 2020. This questionnaire addresses different aspects, including emotional exhaustion, personal achievement, and depersonalization, to determine the intensity of perceived burnout among nurses during the outbreak. Results: Our data demonstrated that the nurses’ burnout in Shiraz hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic was high (64.6%). Emotional exhaustion and depersonalization were observed in 63.6 and 53.3 percent of the participants, respectively. Moreover, the rate of successful personal achievement among these nurses was >97%. Work experience <10 years (P=0.016), hospital ward (P=0.044), the number of deaths observed by nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic (P<0.001), and the total number of shifts during the COVID-19 pandemic (P=0.006) had a positive correlation with emotional exhaustion. Conclusion: Workload and stress resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak seem to be one of the major causes of emotional exhaustion in nurses. The emotional exhaustion among nurses must be considered in epidemics, such as COVID-19.[GMJ.2020;9:e1956] DOI:10.31661/gmj.v9i0.1956


2020 ◽  
Vol 139 ◽  
pp. 110288
Author(s):  
Olufemi Erinoso ◽  
Olusola Adejumo ◽  
Azeez Fashina ◽  
Ayodeji Falana ◽  
Mary T Amure ◽  
...  

BMC Nursing ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Collins Atta Poku ◽  
Ernestina Donkor ◽  
Florence Naab

Abstract Background The subject of emotional exhaustion organisations has become important because of the emerging trends in employment and its associated challenges. Unhealthy practice environment is a major threat in the incidence of emotional exhaustion among nurses; and any organisational culture that do not support its personnel has huge burnout costs. The study aimed at assessing rate of emotional exhaustion; determining factors that accounts for it and also ascertaining the coping strategies used by nurses to overcome it in the Ghanaian health care setting. Methods A cross-sectional study with a proportionate stratified sampling was used to draw a sample from five health facilities. A standardized questionnaire of Professional Practice Environment Scale of Nursing Work Index, Maslach Burnout Inventory and Coping Scale were used to assess variables under study. The STROBE guidelines were followed in reporting this study. Results Out of the 232 registered nurses studied, 91.1% of them reported experiencing moderate to high rate of emotional exhaustion. The practice environment of the nurses explained 39.6% of the variance in emotional exhaustion. Emotion-focused and problem-focused approaches were identified to be used by registered nurses to cope with emotional exhaustion. Conclusion When appropriate and effective intervention are employed, emotional exhaustion will be reduce and this will enrich the effectiveness of quality care delivery to patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Peng ◽  
Yangyang Pu ◽  
Xiaoyong Jiang ◽  
Qingmei Zheng ◽  
Jing Gu ◽  
...  

Background: Public health workers are essential to responding to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, but research on anxiety and stress among public health workers during the epidemic is limited. This study aimed to evaluate related factors affecting mental health among public health workers during the epidemic.Methods: Between February 19 and 25, 2020, an online, cross-sectional study was conducted among public health workers in a city in China. Mental health status was assessed using the Chinese versions of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), both with a cutoff score of 5. Work-related variables, workloads and sacrifices, and personal perceptions were also assessed.Results: The prevalence of anxiety and depression were 49.2% and 45.7%, respectively, among public health workers. Three risk factors and one protective factor, namely, overcommitment (OR = 1.10∼1.20, p &lt; 0.001), perceived troubles at work (OR = 1.14∼1.18, p &lt; 0.001), perceived tension (OR = 1.11, p &lt; 0.001) and the capability to persist for more than 1 month at the current work intensity (OR = 0.41∼0.42, p &lt; 0.001) were found to be independently associated with anxiety and depression in the multivariable logistic regression analyses after propensity score matching. But the Bayesian networks analysis found that the last three factors directly affect anxiety and depression.Conclusion: Psychological responses to COVID-19 were dramatic among public health workers during the severe phase of the outbreak. To minimize the impact of the epidemic, working conditions should be improved, and easily accessible psychological support services should be implemented.


2018 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 336-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lilia de Souza Nogueira ◽  
Regina Márcia Cardoso de Sousa ◽  
Erika de Souza Guedes ◽  
Mariana Alvina dos Santos ◽  
Ruth Natalia Teresa Turrini ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Objective: to identify associations between the Burnout domains and the characteristics of the work environment. Method: cross-sectional study with 745 nurses from 40 public health institutions in São Paulo. Nursing Work Index-Revised (NWI-R) and Maslach Burnout Inventory were used. Similar institutions according to NWI-R were grouped by clustering and the Anova and Bonferroni tests were used in the comparative analyzes. Results: there was significant and moderate correlation between emotional exhaustion and autonomy, control over the environment and organizational support; between reduced personal accomplishment, autonomy and organizational support; and between depersonalization and autonomy. The group that presented the worst conditions in the work environment differed on emotional exhaustion from the group with most favorable traits. Conclusion: emotional exhaustion was the trait of Burnout that was more consistently related to the group of institutions with more unfavorable working conditions regarding autonomy, organizational support and control over the environment.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document