Occupational Stress and Burnout Among Public Health Professionals During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Morocco
Amal Amellah1, Aziza Menouni2, Kaoutar Chbihi1,2
1Human Epidemiology and Environmental Health Team, Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismail University, Meknes 50000, Morocco.
Background:
The COVID-19 pandemic posed a severe psychological burden on healthcare professionals worldwide, yet little evidence exists from North African low- and middle-income countries.
Objective:
This study assessed levels of perceived stress and burnout among Moroccan healthcare workers and explored associated occupational risk factors, based on retrospective data collected in 2022.
Methods:
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 200 physicians and nurses (n = 200) from five public hospitals in Meknes. Validated instruments, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-HSS), were used. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests with Cramér's V, and ordinal logistic regression analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 26.
Results:
High proportions of healthcare professionals reported elevated stress and clinical burnout. Occupational risk factors such as working in intensive care or COVID-19 units, on-call shift schedules, and sleep disturbances were strongly associated with adverse outcomes.
Conclusions:
Moroccan healthcare professionals experienced persistent psychological strain during and after the pandemic. The novelty of this study lies in documenting post-pandemic data from 2022 in a North African setting, providing timely evidence of long-term impacts. These findings underscore the urgent need for organizational reforms and targeted psychological support programs to protect the mental health of healthcare workers in future health crises.
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