Mental health and burnout syndrome among healthcare professionals providing care to patients with mental disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers faced numerous challenges, including a high risk of personal infection, a 2to 3-fold increase in workload, shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), fear of transmitting the virus to family members, and exposure to social stigma. For psychiatrists and mental health professionals, maintaining infection control protocols and the hospital safety regime presented unique obstacles, as psychiatric patients frequently exhibited impaired insight and reduced self-care capacity due to their mental disorders. Aim: To evaluate the mental health status and the prevalence of burnout syndrome among psychiatrists and healthcare professionals working in the COVID-19 ward of the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) during the pandemic. Materials and Methods: An analytical, hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire-based methodology among 205 participants (41 psychiatrists, 82 nurses, and 82 assistant nurses). Depression and anxiety levels were assessed using standardized instruments, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), respectively. Burnout syndrome was evaluated using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of MNUMS on June 18, 2021 (decision No. 2021/3-08). Results: The mean age of the participants was 39.37±9.11 years, and 78.5% were female, with a statistically significant difference in sex distribution across professional groups (p=0.005). Anxiety was present in 85.8% of the sample (mild in 53.7%), while depression was detected in 53.2% (mild to moderate in 50.2%, n=103). No statistically significant differences in these outcomes were observed across professional groups. Social stigma was experienced by 99.5% (n=204) of all participants, and self-stigma was reported by 90.2% to 100% of professionals across categories. Changes in 2–3 subscales of burnout syndrome were observed in 30.0% (n=12) of psychiatrists, 46.6% (n=38) of nurses, and 52.4% (n=43) of assistant nurses; however, this variation did not reach statistical significance (p=0.06). Conclusions: Anxiety was detected in 85.8% of psychiatrists and mental health professionals (mild in 53.7%), and depression in 53.2% (mild to moderate in 50.2%, n=103), with no statistically significant differences between professional groups. Of all 205 participants, 99.5% (n=204) had experienced social stigma, while 90.2–100% reported self-stigma when compared by profession. Reduced personal accomplishment was observed in 58.8% of doctors and mental health professionals, and changes in 2–3 subscales of burnout syndrome were found in 30.0% (n=12) of psychiatrists, 46.6% (n=38) of nurses, and 52.4% (n=43) of assistant nurses; however, the differences between professional groups did not reach statistical significance (p=0.06).