Evaluation of the Burnout Levels of Health Care Workers During the Pandemic in Pediatric and Adult Emergency Services

Abstract

Introduction: During the Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the emergency services provide seven days/24-hour regular health care, while the risk of burnout is gradually increasing among healthcare workers struggling with the increasing workload. Few studies monitored the mental health of doctors, nurses, and allied health personnel working in emergency departments to support frontline health workers and more data is needed. Methods: The Maslach burnout scale (MBI) was administered voluntarily to doctors, nurses, and allied health personnel in the pediatric emergency and adult emergency services in May 2020 and December 2020. A socio-demographic information form containing questions about the institution, profession, and working conditions was distributed. The socio-demographic data of the same participants on both dates were compared with the effects of the pandemic on their daily lives, working conditions, and subscales of MBI (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal achievement scores) with an interval of six months (May 2020-December 2020). Results: One hundred seventeen health personnel participated in our study in May 2020 and 122 in December 2020. 95.7% of respondents (112/117) in May 2020; in December 2020, 69.9% (84/122) of them met the criteria in two or more of the subscales of MBI (high emotional exhaustion and depersonalization scores, low personal achievement scores) and were found to be exhausted. In a six-month comparison, it was found that physicians, among physicians, pediatric assistants working in the pediatric emergency department, and healthcare workers aged 29 and younger were better able to cope with burnout. Conclusion: Considering the known harmful effects of burnout on patient care and the well-being of healthcare workers, frontline personnel in emergency services may need more mental support during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a need for more preventive, descriptive, protective, and remedial studies on frontline health workers’ physical and mental health.