Anxiety and burnout in anesthetists and intensive care unit nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

Anxiety, insomnia and family support in nurses, two years after the onset of the pandemic crisis

Introduction

The Covid-19 pandemic continues to cause serious physical and mental problems for health professionals, particularly nurses.

Aim

To estimate the prevalence of anxiety and insomnia and to evaluate their possible association with family support received by nurses two years after the onset of the pandemic.

Materials and methods

In total, the study participants were 404 nurses (335 females and 69 males) with a mean age of 42.88 (SD = 10.9) years and a mean of 17.96 (SD = 12) years working as nurses. Nurses from five tertiary hospitals in Athens constituted the study population who completed the questionnaires State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) and Family Support Scale (FSS), in the months of November and December 2021. Regarding demographic and occupational characteristics, gender, age and years of experience as nurses were recorded.

Results

60.1% of the nurses showed abnormal scores in state anxiety, with 46.8% in trait anxiety, and 61.4% showed insomnia. Women showed higher scores on the two subscales of anxiety and the insomnia scale compared to men (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05 respectively), while they showed a lower score on the FSS without statistical significance (p > 0.05). Positive correlations (p < 0.01) were found between the State Anxiety Inventory, Trait Anxiety Inventory and AIS, while all of them showed a high negative correlation with FSS (p < 0.01). Age showed a negative correlation with Trait Anxiety Inventory (p < 0.05). As shown by the mediation analysis, the relationship between state anxiety and insomnia was mediated by trait anxiety, whereas state anxiety appeared to be dependent on family support.

Conclusions

Nurses continue to experience high levels of anxiety and insomnia and feel less supported by their families than in the first year of the pandemic. Insomnia appears to be dependent on state anxiety, with a significant indirect effect of trait anxiety, while family support seems to affect state anxiety.

Alcohol misuse, health-related behaviors, and burnout among clinical therapists in China during the early Covid-19 pandemic: A Nationwide survey

Objectives

This study aimed to assess the extent of alcohol use and misuse among clinical therapists working in psychiatric hospitals in China during the early COVID-19 Pandemic, and to identify associated factors.

Methods

An anonymous nationwide survey was conducted in 41 tertiary psychiatric hospitals. We collected demographic data as well as alcohol use using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) and burnout using the Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey.

Results

In total, 396 clinical therapists completed the survey, representing 89.0% of all potential participants we targeted. The mean age of participants was 33.8 years old, and more than three-quarters (77.5%) were female. Nearly two-fifths (39.1%) self-reported as current alcohol users. The overall prevalence of alcohol misuse was 6.6%. Nearly one-fifth (19.9%) reported symptoms of burnout with high emotional exhaustion in 46 (11.6%), and high depersonalization in 61 (15.4%). Multiple logistic regression showed alcohol use was associated with male gender (OR = 4.392; 95% CI =2.443-7.894), single marital status (OR = 1.652; 95% CI =0.970-2.814), smoking habit (OR = 3.847; 95%CI =1.160-12.758) and regular exercise (OR = 2.719; 95%CI =1.490-4.963). Alcohol misuse was associated with male gender (OR = 3.367; 95% CI =1.174-9.655), a lower education level (OR = 3.788; 95%CI =1.009-14.224), smoking habit (OR = 4.626; 95%CI =1.277-16.754) and high burnout (depersonalization, OR = 4.848; 95%CI =1.433-16.406).

Conclusion

During the COVID-19 pandemic, clinical therapists' alcohol consumption did not increase significantly. Male gender, cigarette smoking, and burnout are associated with an increased risk of alcohol misuse among clinical therapists. Targeted intervention is needed when developing strategies to reduce alcohol misuse and improve clinical therapists' wellness and mental health.

Comparison of the burnout among medical residents before and during the pandemic

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to compare the level of burnout syndrome in medical residents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify potential risk factors.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted on medical residents from three different university hospitals in Turkey in March 2021, one year after the pandemic hit Turkey. Burnout is measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory which assesses three dimensions of it: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Collected data were combined and compared with data from a previous study which was held in the same hospitals in December 2019, three months before the pandemic.

RESULTS

412 medical residents from three universities participated. The mean age was 27.8 ± 2.4 and half of them were female. Compared to pre-pandemic levels, no significant differences in emotional exhaustion (pre:19.0 ± 7.6 post:18.8 ± 7.8), depersonalization (pre:7.3 ± 4.3 post:7.2 ± 4.4), and personal accomplishment (pre:20.8 ± 5.1 post:21.1 ± 5) scores were observed one year after pandemic. Adjusting for confounders, multiple linear regression models indicated that who are female, are in surgical specialty, have vulnerable cohabitant, and have more night shifts faces higher emotional exhaustion. Depersonalisation is higher among who spent more years in residency, have more night shifts, or COVID-19 outpatient duty. Females and those who have vulnerable cohabitant has lower levels of Personal Achievement.

CONCLUSION

This study does not support the hypothesis that pandemic increases the burnout levels. Yet it identifies a couple of pandemic related factors that are associated with burnout and confirming the association of several previously known factors.

Evaluation of psychological impact of COVID-19 on anesthesiology residents in the United States

The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of in-training anesthesiology residents in the United States. A link containing validated survey tools including the Depression-Anxiety-Stress-Scale (DASS-21), the Abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory (aMBI), and the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) along with questions related to work environment, and additional personal factors were emailed to 159 Anesthesiology residency programs across the US. 143 responses were received of which 111 were complete. The prevalence of depression, anxiety, stress and burnout was 42%, 24%, 31% and 71% respectively. Emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced feelings of personal accomplishment were experienced by 80%, 53%, and 65% of respondents, respectively. The BRCS scale showed 33% of respondents with low, 44% with moderate and 22% with high coping scales. Logistic regression analyses indicated those with a prior mental health diagnosis were 3 times more likely to have a non-normal DASS depression score, 4 times more likely to have a non-normal DASS anxiety score, and 11.74 times more prone to emotional exhaustion. Increased work hours and higher training levels were associated with increased levels of stress. In our survey, prior mental health illness, gender and increased work hours were the main drivers of increased risk .

Burnout status of healthcare workers in the world during the peak period of the COVID-19 pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers have a high workload and have been exposed to various psychosocial stressors. This study aimed to evaluate health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in the world. The method used in this research is qualitative with a literature review approach. The data sources in this study were taken from the Scopus database using the keywords "health workers," "burnout," AND "coronavirus" from the time range of 2020 to April 25, 2022. From the determination of the time range, 150 documents emerged. This study revealed that the Pearson correlation between total burnout scale scores on healthcare workers, professionals, exhaustion, mental, stress, personal, depression, symptoms, emergency, system, job, and impact indicated that overall burnout scores were associated with depression and anxiety. Stress symptoms had correlation values ranging from 0.84 to 0.73. Job burnout had a significant relationship with exhaustion at 0.89; depression r = 0.73), impacting a score of 0.66. At the same time, the fulfillment of professional and interpersonal disengagement showed a Pearson correlation between the total burnout scale scores on health workers, professionals, exhaustion, mental, stress, personal, depression, symptoms, emergency, system, job, and impact. Overall, the participants in health care workers worldwide experienced high levels of psychological distress. We also found that health workers dealing with COVID-19 pandemic patients were more likely to experience depression, stress, and burnout than health staff who were not personally involved in medical work. Furthermore, this study will be a follow-up study using the Work Ability Index (WAI) to measure work ability and work satisfaction.

Risk factors of self-extubation in intensive care. Retrospective cohort study

Introduction: Acute respiratory failure remains one of the three leading causes of admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). Self-extubation is an adverse outcome requiring reintubation in 50% of cases. Objective: To assess for determinants (risk factors) of self-extubation and mortality in the ICU by using a generalized estimation equation model (GEE). Methods: The data was collected from a retrospective cohort study from 2017-2020 including all patients admitted to the ICU with mechanical ventilation. Univariate and bivariate analyses were performed. Then, a GEE model was conducted to predict the risk of self-extubation and mortality. Results: A total of 857 subjects were included, with a mean age of 60.5 +/- 17 years-old. Most of the subjects were males (55.2%). An 8.99-fold risk (95%CI 3.83-21.1, p<0.01) of self-extubation was identified in patients with agitation. Exposure to infusion of neuromuscular blockade was also found to increase the risk of self-extubation 3.37 times (95%CI 1.31-8.68, p=0.01). No associations were identified between immobilization and self-extubation (OR 1.38 95%CI 0.76-2.51, p=0.29). Finally, light sedation according to the Richmond Sedation Scale (RASS) between 0 to -2 rather than moderate (RASS-3) reduces the risk of mortality (OR 0.57, 95%CI 0.38-0.83, p<0.01). Conclusions: The main factors resulting in self-extubation were: agitation, delirium, and infusion of neuromuscular blocking agents. An association was found between light sedation and a lower risk of mortality. No association was found between the use of physical restraint and the desired outcome.

Burnout Syndrome among Otorhinolaryngologists during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background and Objectives: To determine the prevalence of burnout syndrome among otorhinolaryngologists in Lithuania and investigate associations with sociodemographic and professional factors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: Burnout was measured using the validated Lithuanian version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Demographic characteristics and professional characteristics were collected utilizing an anonymous questionnaire. Results: Eighty otorhinolaryngologists (ORL group) and 30 information technology professionals (the control group) were enrolled in this study. A high level of professional burnout in at least one of the subscales was observed in 82.5% of the ORL group subjects. Depersonalization and burnout syndrome were more frequently detected with increasing age in the ORL group (r = 0.2, p < 0.04). Greater satisfaction with salary and working environment resulted in a lower burnout incidence (r = 0.31, p = 0.001). Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the incidence of burnout syndrome has been high among Lithuanian otorhinolaryngologists. Demographic and professional characteristics are significantly related to burnout syndrome among Lithuanian otorhinolaryngologists.

The Prevalence and the Associated Sociodemographic-Occupational Factors of Professional Burnout Among Health Professionals During COVID-19 Pandemic in Malang, Indonesia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background

Since 2020, Indonesian health professionals have been affected by burnout as the physiological impact due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Malang has contributed to a substantial number of new daily cases and death rates in East Java, an epicenter of COVID-19 in Indonesia. However, a study about how burnout affected Malang health professionals was never conducted.

Objectives

This research aimed to assess the prevalence and factors associated with burnout among health professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malang, Indonesia.

Materials and Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out with an online survey conducted in 5 major hospitals in Malang. We conducted a study about the prevalence rate of burnout in Malang and the association between sociodemographic factors, occupational hazards, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS). The associations were presented as odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

We analyzed 1,077 health professionals in Malang. Our result showed that the prevalence of burnout among health professionals in Malang is 22.0%. Respondents under the age of 30 tend to experience a higher level of burnout by 3.4-fold (OR = 3.43, p-value < 0.001), compared with those over the age of 40 years. Our data showed that respondents working longer than 100 h/week tend to experience burnout by 3.8-fold (OR = 3.83, p-value < 0.001).

Conclusion

Approximately one-fifth of the health professionals in Malang suffered from burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic, and MBI-HSS subscales are strongly associated with age and work hours.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on intensive care unit workers: a nationwide survey

PURPOSE

To evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canadian intensive care unit (ICU) workers.

METHODS

Between June and August 2020, we distributed a cross-sectional online survey of ICU workers evaluating the impact of the pandemic, coping strategies, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD; Impact of Events Scale-Revised), and psychological distress, anxiety, and depression (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale). We performed regression analyses to determine the predictors of psychological symptoms.

RESULTS

We analyzed responses from 455 ICU workers (80% women; 67% from Ontario; 279 nurses, 69 physicians, and 107 other healthcare professionals). Respondents felt that their job put them at great risk of exposure (60%), were concerned about transmitting COVID-19 to family members (76%), felt more stressed at work (67%), and considered leaving their job (37%). Overall, 25% had probable PTSD and 18% had minimal or greater psychological distress. Nurses were more likely to report PTSD symptoms (33%) and psychological distress (23%) than physicians (5% for both) and other health disciplines professionals (19% and 14%). Variables associated with PTSD and psychological distress included female sex (beta-coefficient [B], 1.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20 to 2.10 and B, 3.79; 95% CI, 1.79 to 5.78, respectively; P < 0.001 for differences in scores across groups) and perceived increased risk due to PPE shortage or inadequate PPE training (B, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.51 to 2.31 and B, 4.88; 95% CI, 3.34 to 6.43, respectively). Coping strategies included talking to friends/family/colleagues (80%), learning about COVID-19 (78%), and physical exercise (68%). Over half endorsed the following workplace strategies as valuable: hospital-provided scrubs, clear communication and protocols by hospitals, knowing their voice is heard, subsidized parking, and gestures of appreciation from leadership.

CONCLUSIONS

This survey study shows that ICU workers have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with high levels of stress and psychological burden. Respondents endorsed communication, protocols, and appreciation from leadership as helpful mitigating strategies.

A One-Year Prospective Study of Work-Related Mental Health in the Intensivists of a COVID-19 Hub Hospital

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely tested the physical and mental health of health care workers (HCWs). The various stages of the epidemic have posed different problems; consequently, only a prospective study can effectively describe the changes in the workers' health. This repeated cross-sectional study is based on a one-year investigation (spring 2020 to spring 2021) of intensive care physicians in one of the two COVID-19 hub hospitals in Central Italy and aims to study the evolution of the mental health status of intensivists during the pandemic. Changes in their work activity due to the pandemic were studied anonymously together with their perception of organisational justice, occupational stress, sleep quality, anxiety, depression, burnout, job satisfaction, happiness, and intention to quit. In May-June 2021, one year after the baseline, doctors reported an increased workload, isolation at work and in their social life, a lack of time for physical activity and meditation, and compassion fatigue. Stress was inversely associated with the perception of justice in safety procedures and directly correlated with work isolation. Occupational stress was significantly associated with anxiety, depression, burnout, dissatisfaction, and their intention to quit. Procedural justice was significantly associated with happiness. Doctors believed vaccinations would help control the problem; however, this positive attitude had not yet resulted in improved mental health. Doctors reported high levels of distress (73%), sleep problems (28%), anxiety (25%), and depression (64%). Interventions to correct the situation are urgently needed.