Burnt Out: Rate of Burnout in Neuropsychology Survey Respondents during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Brief Communication

Abstract

Objective: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, burnout among healthcare workers has significantly increased. This study evaluated rates of burnout in neuropsychologists one year into the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A survey invitation was sent across five neuropsychology-related listservs in April 2021. Burnout was assessed with the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI; Kristensen, T. S., Borritz, M., Villadsen, E., Christensen, K. B. (2005). The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory: A new tool for the assessment of burnout. Work Stress, 19 (3), 192-207) and differences in Personal, Work, and Client burnout scores were evaluated across patient population and work setting. Results: 57.3% and 51.5% of respondents (N = 130) endorsed moderate-to-high levels of personal and work-related burnout, respectively. In the Personal domain, respondents working with pediatric patients had higher mean scores and a higher proportion of respondents endorsed moderate-to-high levels of burnout. Conclusion: More than half of the survey respondents endorsed elevated levels of personal and work-related burnout. This is concerning as burnout is associated with personal challenges and diminished patient care. Potential organizational interventions are discussed.