Emergency Room Physicians’ Levels of Anxiety, Depression, Burnout, and Coping Methods During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The present study is believed to be the first study to have evaluated the COVID-19 Pandemic’s effects on U.S. based emergency room (ER) physicians’ mental health. Specifically, the study assessed the levels of anxiety, depression, burnout, and coping skills of 226 ER physicians from 31 January to 6 February 2021. The results indicate that ER physicians reported a high level of both personal and work-related burnout even though few reported clinically significant symptoms of anxiety or depression. Results also align with previous research indicating that active and adaptive coping skills were related to a lower level of psychological distress during the COVID-19 Pandemic whereas maladaptive coping strategies such as self-blame, denial, disengagement, venting, and substance abuse, were related to lower overall mental health.