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Risk of burnout and stress in physicians working in a COVID team: A longitudinal survey

Tommaso Dionisi1, Luisa Sestito1, Claudia Tarli1,2

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Catholic University of Rome, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.

International Journal of Clinical Practice
|August 27, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Physicians in COVID wards experience stress and burnout. Specialty and position impact risk, with internal medicine physicians showing lower emotional exhaustion. This study assessed burnout using validated questionnaires over four weeks.

Area of Science:

  • Medicine
  • Psychology

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic created significant stress and burnout risks for physicians.
  • Assessing physician burnout in COVID-19 wards is crucial for understanding occupational risks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate perceived stress and burnout risk among physicians working in COVID wards.
  • To identify factors contributing to physician burnout during the pandemic.

Main Methods:

  • A longitudinal survey of 51 physicians in a COVID team at Gemelli Hospital, Italy.
  • Utilized the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) over four weeks.
  • Assessed short-term (PSQs) and long-term (PSQl) perceived stress.

Main Results:

  • Physicians not board-certified in internal medicine had higher Emotional Exhaustion (EE) scores.
  • Depersonalization (DP) scores decreased over time, and attending physicians had lower DP than residents.
  • Long-term stress (PSQl) predicted higher EE and DP, and lower Personal Accomplishment (PA).

Conclusions:

  • Medical specialty and clinical position are potential risk factors for burnout in COVID teams.
  • Internal medicine physicians demonstrated a lower risk of developing emotional exhaustion throughout the study.
Abstract

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