Factors Associated with Burnout Among Physicians: An Evaluation During a Period of COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of the study is to evaluate the prevalence and extent of burnout among physicians and investigate the factors related with burnout and the influence of the fight against coronavirus (COVID-19) on the burnout syndrome.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was adopted and conducted on 200 actively working physicians in Izmir/Turkey. Personal Information Form and Maslach Burnout Inventory were used in the survey.

Results: The findings showed that the emotional exhaustion level of the physicians was medium, the levels of depersonalization and personal accomplishment were low, and the level of total burnout was low. It was observed that the burnout levels of males and females, and married and single physicians were similar. The emotional exhaustion level of 18-23-year-old physicians was lower than the rest of the physicians. Physicians' level of satisfaction with their income is not effective on burnout. The burnout level of physicians who did not choose their profession willingly was determined to be higher than the burnout level of the physicians who chose their profession willingly. One important finding showed that the burnout level of physicians who actively involved in the fight against COVID-19 was lower than the burnout level of the physicians who did not actively involve in the fight against COVID-19.

Conclusion: Although the impact of some demographic variables, such as gender, marital status and satisfaction of income on burnout, was similar among the groups, total burnout level was lower in physicians who actively fought with the virus. This result may suggest that those physicians who were actively involved in the fight against COVID-19 had a high sense of meaningfulness of work which will result in high satisfaction with the work itself and, thus, creating less burnout. Also, they had a stronger feeling of personal accomplishment as they faced the immediate outcomes of their care for people infected by COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; burnout; demographics; healthcare professionals; pandemic.