The prevalence and features of professional burnout among medical workers during the pandemic of a new coronavirus infection COVID-19

Background. Professional burnout (PB) is usually defined as a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal derealization, which can manifest itself in many professions, but primarily in helping ones. It is common knowledge that caregivers are among the professionals most at risk of burnout and psychological vulnerability. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the mental health of healthcare workers has been exposed to various risk factors. Recent studies have found high PB rates among medical staff working with patients with novel coronavirus infection. Objective. Assessment and analysis of the levels of the components of the burnout syndrome among medical workers. Methods. To assess and analyze the levels of components of the PB syndrome, a Maslach Burnout survey was conducted among medical workers in COVID hospitals (n=201); outpatient medical workers (n=186); medical workers of multidisciplinary hospitals (n=195), as well as the control group (n=190). Results. Qualitative analysis using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) found that 11 (5.5%) medical workers in COVID hospitals had extremely high levels of PB. This is significantly higher than that of 1 (0.5%) medical worker of the outpatient clinics (pa-c=0.012). Medical workers of multidisciplinary hospitals did not have an extremely high level of burnout. The frequency of occurrence of a high level of burnout is significantly higher among medical workers in COVID hospitals compared with medical workers in multidisciplinary hospitals (pa-b=0.014), but there were no significant differences compared with outpatient medical workers (pa-c=0.202). The frequency of occurrence of the moderate level of burnout was significantly higher among medical workers in COVID hospitals compared with medical workers in multidisciplinary hospitals (pa-b=0.004), but there were no significant differences compared with outpatient medical workers (pa-c=0.161). It was found that the incidence of low burnout was significantly lower among medical workers in COVID hospitals compared with medical workers in multidisciplinary hospitals (pa-b=0.017), but there were no significant differences compared to medical workers in outpatient clinics (pa-c=0.096). The frequency of occurrence of an extremely low level of burnout among medical workers in multidisciplinary hospitals was significantly higher compared with medical workers in outpatient clinics (pb-c=0.045). Among medical workers, COVID hospitals, no person with an extremely low level of burnout was registered. Conclusion. Medical workers in COVID hospitals were the most susceptible to PB syndrome: 22.4% of medical workers in COVID hospitals had high and extremely high levels of burnout, 41.3% had a moderate level, and only 36.3% had a low level of burnout. Among outpatient healthcare workers, 12.3% had high and extremely high levels of burnout, 33.9% had a moderate level, and 53.8% - low and extremely low levels of burnout. Among medical workers in multidisciplinary hospitals, 8.2% had a high level of burnout, 27.2% -a moderate level, and 64.6% of medical workers - low and extremely low levels of burnout.

professional burnout, medical workers