COVID-19 has led to an unprecedented strain on healthcare workers (HCWs). This study aimed to determine the prevalence of burnout in hospital employees during a prolonged pandemic-induced burden on healthcare systems. An online survey among employees of a Czech and Slovak university hospital was conducted between November 2021 and January 2022, approximately when the incidence rates peaked in both countries. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey was applied. We obtained 807 completed questionnaires (75.1% from Czech employees, 91.2% from HCWs, 76.2% from women; mean age of 42.1 ± 11 years). Burnout in emotional exhaustion (EE) was found in 53.2%, depersonalization (DP) in 33%, and personal accomplishment (PA) in 47.8% of respondents. In total, 148 (18.3%) participants showed burnout in all dimensions, 184 (22.8%) in two, and 269 (33.3%) in at least one dimension. Burnout in EE and DP (65% and 43.7%) prevailed in physicians compared to other HCWs (48.6% and 28.8%). Respondents from COVID-19-dedicated units achieved burnout in the EE and DP dimensions with higher rates than non-frontline HCWs (58.1% and 40.9% vs. 49.9% and 27.7%). Almost two years of the previous overloading of healthcare services, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulted in the relatively high prevalence of burnout in HCWs, especially in physicians and frontline HCWs.

Department of Exercise Medicine and Cardiovascular Rehabilitation University Hospital Olomouc and Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Palacký University Olomouc 779 00 Olomouc Czech Republic

Department of Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty of Health Sciences Palacký University in Olomouc Hněvotínská 976 3 775 15 Olomouc Czech Republic

Department of Occupational Medicine University Hospital Olomouc and Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Palacký University Olomouc 1 P Pavlova 6 779 00 Olomouc Czech Republic

Department of Public Health Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin Comenius University in Bratislava Mala Hora 11149 4B 036 01 Martin Slovakia

Department of Pulmonary Diseases and Tuberculosis University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University 625 00 Brno Czech Republic

Zobrazit více v PubMed

Maslach C., Leiter M.P. Understanding the burnout experience: Recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World Psychiatry. 2016;15:103–111. doi: 10.1002/wps.20311. PubMed DOI PMC

World Health Organization Burn-Out an “Occupational Phenomenon”: International Classification of Diseases. 2019. [(accessed on 17 September 2022)]. Available online: https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases.

Roslan N.S., Yusoff M., Razak A.A., Morgan K. Burnout Prevalence and Its Associated Factors among Malaysian Healthcare Workers during COVID-19 Pandemic: An Embedded Mixed-Method Study. Healthcare. 2021;9:90. doi: 10.3390/healthcare9010090. PubMed DOI PMC

West C.P., Dyrbye L.N., Shanafelt T.D. Physician burnout: Contributors, consequences and solutions. J. Intern. Med. 2018;283:516–529. doi: 10.1111/joim.12752. PubMed DOI

De Hert S. Burnout in Healthcare Workers: Prevalence, Impact and Preventative Strategies. Local Reg. Anesth. 2020;13:171–183. doi: 10.2147/LRA.S240564. PubMed DOI PMC

World Health Organization COVID-19 Pandemic Triggers 25% Increase in Prevalence of Anxiety and Depression Worldwide. 2022. [(accessed on 17 September 2022)]. Available online: https://www.who.int/news/item/02-03-2022-covid-19-pandemic-triggers-25-increase-in-prevalence-of-anxiety-and-depression-worldwide.

Denning M., Goh E.T., Tan B., Kanneganti A., Almonte M., Scott A., Martin G., Clarke J., Sounderajah V., Markar S., et al. Determinants of burnout and other aspects of psychological well-being in healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A multinational cross-sectional study. PLoS ONE. 2021;16:e0238666. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238666. PubMed DOI PMC

Leo C.G., Sabina S., Tumolo M.R., Bodini A., Ponzini G., Sabato E., Mincarone P. Burnout Among Healthcare Workers in the COVID 19 Era: A Review of the Existing Literature. Front. Public Health. 2021;9:750529. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.750529. PubMed DOI PMC

Raudenská J., Steinerová V., Javůrková A., Urits I., Kaye A.D., Viswanath O., Varrassi G. Occupational burnout syndrome and post-traumatic stress among healthcare professionals during the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Best. Pract. Res. Clin. Anaesthesiol. 2020;34:553–560. doi: 10.1016/j.bpa.2020.07.008. PubMed DOI PMC

Galanis P., Vraka I., Fragkou D., Bilali A., Kaitelidou D. Nurses’ burnout and associated risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J. Adv. Nurs. 2021;77:3286–3302. doi: 10.1111/jan.14839. PubMed DOI PMC

Appiani F.J., Rodríguez Cairoli F., Sarotto L., Yaryour C., Basile M.E., Duarte J.M. Prevalence of stress, burnout syndrome, anxiety and depression among physicians of a teaching hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. Arch. Argent. Pediatr. 2021;119:317–324. PubMed

Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic COVID-19 Epidemic in the Czech Republic. 2022. [(accessed on 9 September 2022)]. Available online: https://onemocneni-aktualne.mzcr.cz/covid-19.

Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center. 2022. [(accessed on 9 September 2022)]. Available online: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/region/czechia.

National Health Information Center. 2022. [(accessed on 9 September 2022)]. Available online: https://covid-19.nczisk.sk/sk.

Maslach C., Jackson S.E. The measurement of experienced burnout. J. Organ. Behav. 1981;2:99–113. doi: 10.1002/job.4030020205. DOI

Maslach C., Jackson S.E., Leiter M.P. Evaluating Stress: A Book of Resources. Scarecrow Education; Lanham, MD, USA: 1997. Maslach Burnout Inventory; pp. 191–218.

Taherdoost H. Validity and reliability of the research instrument; how to test the validation of a questionnaire/survey in a research. How to test the validation of a questionnaire/survey in a research. Int. J. Acad. Res. 2016;5:28–36.

Brady K., Ni P., Sheldrick R.C., Trockel M.T., Shanafelt T.D., Rowe S.G., Schneider J.I., Kazis L.E. Describing the emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment symptoms associated with Maslach Burnout Inventory subscale scores in US physicians: An item response theory analysis. J. Patient Rep. Outcomes. 2020;4:42. doi: 10.1186/s41687-020-00204-x. PubMed DOI PMC

Orrù G., Marzetti F., Conversano C., Vagheggini G., Miccoli M., Ciacchini R., Panait E., Gemignani A. Secondary Traumatic Stress and Burnout in Healthcare Workers during COVID-19 Outbreak. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2021;18:337. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18010337. PubMed DOI PMC

Rothenberger D.A. Physician Burnout and Well-Being: A Systematic Review and Framework for Action. Dis. Colon Rectum. 2017;60:567–576. doi: 10.1097/DCR.0000000000000844. PubMed DOI

Shanafelt T.D., Hasan O., Dyrbye L.N., Sinsky C., Satele D., Sloan J., West C.P. Changes in Burnout and Satisfaction With Work-Life Balance in Physicians and the General US Working Population between 2011 and 2014. Mayo Clin. Proc. 2015;90:1600–1613. doi: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2015.08.023. PubMed DOI

Ghahramani S., Lankarani K.B., Yousefi M., Heydari K., Shahabi S., Azmand S. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Burnout Among Healthcare Workers During COVID-19. Front. Psychiatry. 2021;12:758849. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.758849. PubMed DOI PMC

Gualano M.R., Sinigaglia T., Lo Moro G., Rousset S., Cremona A., Bert F., Siliquini R. The Burden of Burnout among Healthcare Professionals of Intensive Care Units and Emergency Departments during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2021;18:8172. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18158172. PubMed DOI PMC

Dubey S., Biswas P., Ghosh R., Chatterjee S., Dubey M.J., Chatterjee S., Lahiri D., Lavie C.J. Psychosocial impact of COVID-19. Diabetes Metab. Syndr. 2020;14:779–788. doi: 10.1016/j.dsx.2020.05.035. PubMed DOI PMC

De Pasquale C., Conti D., Dinaro C., D’Antoni R.A., La Delfa E., Di Nuovo S. The COVID-19 Pandemic and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Emotional Impact on Healthcare Professions. Front. Psychiatry. 2022;13:832843. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.832843. PubMed DOI PMC

Murat M., Köse S., Savaşer S. Determination of stress, depression and burnout levels of front-line nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Int. J. Ment. Health Nurs. 2021;30:533–543. doi: 10.1111/inm.12818. PubMed DOI PMC

Abdelsadig Mohammed H., Elamin S.A., El-Awaisi A., El Hajj M.S. Use of the job demands-resource model to understand community pharmacists’ burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. Res. Social. Adm. Pharm. 2022;18:3568–3579. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2022.03.011. PubMed DOI PMC

Torrente M., Sousa P.A., Sánchez-Ramos A., Pimentao J., Royuela A., Franco F., Collazo-Lorduy A., Menasalvas E., Provencio M. To burn-out or not to burn-out: A cross-sectional study in healthcare professionals in Spain during COVID-19 pandemic. BMJ Open. 2021;11:e044945. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044945. PubMed DOI PMC

Ferry A.V., Wereski R., Strachan F.E., Mills N.L. Predictors of UK healthcare worker burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. QJM. 2021;114:374–380. doi: 10.1093/qjmed/hcab065. PubMed DOI PMC

Di Giuseppe M., Nepa G., Prout T.A., Albertini F., Marcelli S., Orrù G., Conversano C. Stress, Burnout, and Resilience among Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Emergency: The Role of Defense Mechanisms. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2021;18:5258. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18105258. PubMed DOI PMC

Lasalvia A., Amaddeo F., Porru S., Carta A., Tardivo S., Bovo C., Ruggeri M., Bonetto C. Levels of burn-out among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and their associated factors: A cross-sectional study in a tertiary hospital of a highly burdened area of north-east Italy. BMJ Open. 2021;11:e045127. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-045127. PubMed DOI PMC

Ruiz-Fernández M.D., Ramos-Pichardo J.D., Ibáñez-Masero O., Cabrera-Troya J., Carmona-Rega M.I., Ortega-Galán Á.M. Compassion fatigue, burnout, compassion satisfaction and perceived stress in healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 health crisis in Spain. J. Clin. Nurs. 2020;29:4321–4330. doi: 10.1111/jocn.15469. PubMed DOI

Baskin R.G., Bartlett R. Healthcare worker resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic: An integrative review. J. Nurs. Manag. 2021;29:2329–2342. doi: 10.1111/jonm.13395. PubMed DOI PMC

Trumello C., Bramanti S.M., Ballarotto G., Candelori C., Cerniglia L., Cimino S., Crudele M., Lombardi L., Pignataro S., Viceconti M.L., et al. Psychological Adjustment of Healthcare Workers in Italy during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Differences in Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Burnout, Secondary Trauma, and Compassion Satisfaction between Frontline and Non-Frontline Professionals. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2020;17:8358. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17228358. PubMed DOI PMC

Nishimura Y., Miyoshi T., Hagiya H., Kosaki Y., Otsuka F. Burnout of Healthcare Workers amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Japanese Cross-Sectional Survey. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2021;18:2434. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18052434. PubMed DOI PMC

Sanghera J., Pattani N., Hashmi Y., Varley K.F., Cheruvu M.S., Bradley A., Burke J.R. The impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the mental health of healthcare workers in a hospital setting-A Systematic Review. J. Occup. Health. 2020;62:e12175. doi: 10.1002/1348-9585.12175. PubMed DOI PMC

Maresca G., Corallo F., Catanese G., Formica C., Lo Buono V. Coping Strategies of Healthcare Professionals with Burnout Syndrome: A Systematic Review. Medicina. 2022;58:327. doi: 10.3390/medicina58020327. PubMed DOI PMC

Baptista S., Teixeira A., Castro L., Cunha M., Serrão C., Rodrigues A., Duarte I. Physician Burnout in Primary Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in Portugal. J. Prim. Care Community Health. 2021;12:1–9. doi: 10.1177/21501327211008437. PubMed DOI PMC

Malik P., Patel K., Pinto C., Jaiswal R., Tirupathi R., Pillai S., Patel U. Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL)-A systematic review and meta-analysis. J. Med. Virol. 2022;94:253–262. doi: 10.1002/jmv.27309. PubMed DOI PMC

Asadi-Pooya A.A., Akbari A., Emami A., Lotfi M., Rostamihosseinkhani M., Nemati H., Barzegar Z., Kabiri M., Zeraatpisheh Z., Farjoud-Kouhanjani M., et al. Long COVID syndrome-associated brain fog. J. Med. Virol. 2022;94:979–984. doi: 10.1002/jmv.27404. PubMed DOI PMC

Štěpánek L., Nakládalová M., Janošíková M., Štěpánek L., Kabrhelová K., Boriková A. Predictors and characteristics of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome in healthcare workers. Infect. Dis. 2023;55:125–131. doi: 10.1080/23744235.2022.2136750. PubMed DOI

Strain and serenity: exploring the interplay of stress, burnout, and well-being among healthcare professionals

High prevalence of burnout syndrome in Czech general practitioners: A cross-sectional survey