A Longitudinal Cohort Study of Factors Impacting Healthcare Worker Burnout in New York City During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to longitudinally examine the prevalence and correlates of burnout in frontline healthcare workers (FHCWs) during COVID-19 in New York City. Methods A prospective cohort study of 786 FHCWs at Mount Sinai Hospital was conducted during the initial COVID surge in April to May 2020 (T1) and November 2020 to January 2021 (T2) to assess factors impacting burnout. Results Burnout increased from 38.9% to 44.8% (P = 0.002); 222 FHCWs (28.3%) had persistent burnout, 82 (10.5%) had early burnout, and 129 (16.5%) had delayed burnout. Relative to FHCWs with no burnout (n = 350; 44.7%), those with persistent burnout reported more prepandemic burnout (relative risk [RR], 6.67), less value by supervisors (RR, 1.79), and lower optimism (RR, 0.82), whereas FHCWs with delayed burnout reported more prepandemic burnout (RR, 1.75) and caring for patients who died (RR, 3.12). Conclusion FHCW burnout may be mitigated through increasing their sense of value, support, and optimism; treating mental health symptoms; and counseling regarding workplace distress.