Prevalence, Associated Factors, and Consequences of Burnout Among Egyptian Physicians During COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Objectives: COVID-19 has been recognized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization, and physicians are at the frontline to confront the disease. Burnout syndrome (BOS) is a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. The objective of this study is to evaluate the frequency and associated risk factors of BOS among a sample of Egyptian physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: Using Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey, a cross-sectional electronic survey was conducted to assess BOS among the target group.Results: Two hundred and twenty physicians participated in the study. The frequency of BOS among the research group was 36.36%. The possibility of development of BOS increased two times with the need to buy personal protective equipment (PPE) from participants' own money, with harassment by patients' families, and was less likely to develop in doctors with older age. While male gender was a predictor of depersonalization (DP), female gender showed a significant association with higher emotional exhaustion (EE). Infection or death from COVID-19 among colleagues or relatives showed significant association with elevated EE and lowered personal achievement (PA), respectively.Conclusion: COVID-19 pandemic added new factors to the development of BOS in our research group. Several measures should be taken to support physicians at this stage. These measures include psychological support, organizing work hours, adjusting salaries, and providing personal protective equipment and training on safety measures.

Personal and professional factors influencing career choice regret during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…[11,12,16] Distinguishing between grief and burnout, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and other psychological phenomena may be impossible without a more direct line of inquiry; regardless, the outcome has the potential to be the same: leaving the profession. [19][20][21] Though some looked upon this event as a catalyst to leaving the healthcare profession, others found the experience galvanized their commitment. [5] Many seized the opportunities presented by the pandemic and, as a result, experienced growth, creativity, empowerment, and respect.…”

“…[15][16][17] HCWs are vulnerable to the disease too, though exposure is more likely to occur through community spread and when working outside of units designated for patients with COVID-19. [18] In the event of a COVID-19-related illness or death of a family member, friend, or coworker, HCWs may experience post-traumatic stress syndrome, [19] ongoing anxiety and depression, [20] and signs of burnout, [21] all of which are associated with greater risk of turnover or intent to leave the profession.…”

Diseases of Burnout during the Pandemic of the New Corona Virus in Intensive Care Physicians and Its Impact on Serving the Population: A Descriptive Bibliographic Review

“…These are: (1) limited hospital resources, (2) threat of exposure to the virus as an additional occupational risk, (3) extended shifts, (4) disturbed sleep patterns, (5) work life balance, (6) subsequent high dilemmas regarding patient duties versus fear of exposure to family members (7) increased workload, (8) increased physical and mental fatigue, (9) stress and anxiety and (10) physical exhaustion. All of these factors were identified as the main factors that contribute to the increase in physical and mental fatigue, anxiety, stress and exhaustion [36,25,37,38,39,17,40,41,42]. These authors also emphasize that the worker falls ill due to issues more linked to the work context than individual characteristics.…”

“…In recent years, BO has become a significant psychosocial problem, caused by chronic stress administered unsuccessfully in the workplace [24]. It is a syndrome resulting from chronic stress in the workplace that has not been successfully managed, preceded by intense physical and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged levels of stress (tension) at work, interfering with mental health and reduced professional effectiveness [25,26]. It is considered a social problem of great relevance, being investigated in several countries [7].…”

“…The biggest challenges experienced by doctors and intensivists in the face of the pandemic include not only the increased workload created by such an outbreak, but also the fear of contagion for them and their families, as well as working with new protocols and lack of PPE [25].…”