مستخلص: |
INTRODUCTION The study aims to assess the level of burnout among Greek Primary Healthcare Professionals (physicians, nurses, and allied professionals) and to investigate the association between work-related stressors with the presence of clinical burnout. METHODS A multi-center, web-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted from June to end of October 2021, in Greece. Facilitating convenience sampling, the survey recorded demographic data, personal experience with COVID-19, and emerging work-related perspectives and concerns. Burnout was assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), which is a 22-item inventory, referring to three burnout dimensions: emotional exhaustion (EA, 9 items), depersonalization (DE, 5 items), and personal accomplishment (PA, 8 items). The inventory is rated on a 7-point Likert scale, and, for diagnosis, burnout is experienced when at least 2 of the 3 dimensions yield high scores. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression models. RESULTS A total of 236 participants, including 104 physicians, 83 nurses, and 49 allied professionals, with a mean age of 46 years (SD=9.3) and a male/female ratio of 0.4, completed the online questionnaire. In respect to MBI subscales, high burnout risk was found in the 23.3%, 29.7%, and 46.6% of the three types of participants, respectively. Gender, occupation, and education level were not identified as predisposing factors. Nevertheless, vulnerability was related to young age (<44 years, p=0.028), working in urban settings (29/64, p=0.001), and the experience of severe SARS-CoV-2 infection in the work environment (32/85, p=0.018). Clinical burnout was more frequently observed in participants who would avoid visiting patients (n=36/96, p=0.015), in those who stated that work could endanger their health (n=59/183, p=0.023), and in those concerned about an imminent staff (n=54/155, p=0.004) or protective equipment (n=53/141, p<0.001) shortage. CONCLUSIONS This study showed the severe psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Building resilience through the timely identification of risk factors and implementation of meaningful interventions to promote the mental health of healthcare workers is critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |