Objective
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on hospital staff. The aim of this study was to understand what individual and organizational factors are related to stress and burnout as a reaction to the pandemic.
Methods
An online survey was distributed to hospital staff in seven countries (Germany, Andorra, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Romania, Iran) in summer 2020. Burnout (exhaustion and depersonalization) was measured with two items. A set of variables was used to measure individual, coronavirus-related, and work-related factors, as well as demographics and occupational characteristics.
Results
In total, 2188 respondents answered more than 50 per cent of the survey (73.3 % women). Staff from a wide range of functions responded (MD, nurses, medical-technical personnel, psychologists, pastoral care, rescue service, administration, service, research, trainees, social work). Exhaustion (d = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.24 to 0.41) and depersonalization (d = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.32 to 0.50) were higher for staff working directly with infected patients. Among no-contact staff, rescue services and service personnel had highest levels of exhaustion. Multiple regression analyses revealed that support at the workplace, self-compassion and sense of coherence reduced the risk of exhaustion, while perceived stress and risk perception predicted exhaustion for all groups. Among staff with COVID-19 contact, workplace safety additionally predicted exhaustion.
Conclusion
Burnout can be a problematic consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. A supportive work environment, the availability of protective equipment, but also an organizational climate that promotes self-compassion and sense of coherence can help foster resilience against staff burnout.