Burnout And Depression Among Psychiatry Residents During Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Very few studies have been concerned with assessing the prevalence of burnout and depressive symptoms, especially during an infectious outbreak on non-frontline health care workers, such as a psychiatrist. In such instances, the role of psychiatrists and other mental health providers as a source of psychological support to the public and frontline workers is indispensable and valuable. This study aims to assess the prevalence of burnout and depressive symptoms, and their correlation, during the COVID-19 pandemic among psychiatry residents in Saudi Arabia. A total of 121 out of 150 psychiatry residents in Saudi Arabia completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Patient’s Health Questionnaire for the assessment of burnout and depressive symptoms. Around 27.3% reported having burnout and depressive symptoms, with a significant relationship between them. Participants in the first two years of training and having a history of receiving mental health treatment in the past two years were at higher risk. The need is urgent to increase investment in mental health services or risk a massive increase in mental health conditions in the coming months. Hence, the need to construct a plan to reduce this risk of burnout and depression among psychiatrists by developing preventative strategies to prevent burnout and promote wellness is more important than ever.

Coronavirus stress and COVID-19 burnout among healthcare staffs: The mediating role of optimism and social connectedness

“…High rates of burnout and depressive symptoms (roughly 27.3%) and significant positive relationship between them have been reported during COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia (Alkhamees et al, 2020). Using a Turkish general population, Yıldırım and Solmaz (2020) highlighted the urgency of understanding the factors related to people experience of stress and burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic and understanding the key role of character strengths (e.g., resilience) that explain the relationship between coronavirus stress and burnout.…”