Physician Burnout in Primary Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in Portugal

Abstract

Background Primary care physicians have been present on the frontline during the ongoing pandemic, adding new tasks to already high workloads. Our aim was to evaluate burnout in primary care physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as associated contributing factors. Methods Cross-sectional study with an online questionnaire disseminated through social media, applying the snowball technique. The target population was primary care physicians working in Portugal during the first outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to sociodemographic data, the questionnaire collected responses to the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), the Resilience Scale and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21). Data were collected from May 9 to June 8, 2020, a period comprising the declaration of a national calamity and then state of emergency, and the subsequent ease of lockdown measures. Levels of burnout in 3 different dimensions (personal, work, and patient-related), resilience, stress, depression, and anxiety were assessed. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with burnout levels. Results Among the 214 physician respondents, burnout levels were high in the 3 dimensions. A strong association was found between gender, years of professional experience, depression and anxiety, and burnout levels. Conclusions Physician burnout in primary care is high and has increased during the pandemic. More studies are needed in the long term to provide a comprehensive assessment of COVID-19’simpact on burnout levels and how to best approach and mitigate it during such unprecedented times.

Professional Quality of Life Among Physicians and Nurses Working in Portuguese Hospitals During the Third Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…This result can be justified by the fact that this period is for both nurses and physicians, the first years of practice as a specialist. These results are in line with previous research (e.g., Baptista et al, 2021).…”

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Burnout in Primary Care Physicians in Catalonia

“…The high prevalence of burnout is consistent with findings from a multinational crosssectional study reporting a burnout prevalence of up to 67% amongst healthcare workers during the pandemic [21]. Different countries such as India [22] and Portugal [23] also report elevated levels of burnout amongst healthcare workers. The study from Portugal, which focuses on primary care workers, reports burnout percentages between 55% and 69%, slightly lower than our 70%.…”

Mindfulness-Based Interventions to Reduce Burnout in Primary Healthcare Professionals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…The findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that MBIs might be a practical approach for inducing significant improvements in different burnout symptoms in PHCP. These findings can potentially be relevant for PHCP, mainly due to the exponential increase in reported cases of PHCP with burnout, recently exacerbated due to the COVID-19 pandemic [62]. Thus, from a practical standpoint, implementing MBIs in PHCP will reduce burnout and enhance well-being, compassion for themselves, colleagues, and patients, and contribute to sustainable healthcare organizations.…”