Preschool professionals’ fear, resilience, and burnout: post-pandemic challenges

Fear of COVID-19 and its related complications can negatively affect well-being and contribute to less effective daily and professional functioning. Based on Maslach's burnout concept, this study aimed to verify the relationship between risk of contracting and fear of COVID-19, occupational burnout and job satisfaction in Polish teachers during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Three hundred fifty-two teachers, aged between 22 and 68, participated in this study. In the studied sample, 252 people worked remotely, 41 in-person and 59 were hybrid workers. The Risk of Contracting COVID-19 Scale, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Brief Job Satisfaction Scale were used. Risk of contracting COVID-19 was positively related to fear of COVID-19 and emotional exhaustion. Moreover, fear of COVID-19 was negatively related to personal accomplishment and positively related to emotional exhaustion. Lastly, all three dimensions of occupational burnout were significantly related to job satisfaction. There was no direct relationship between fear of COVID-19 and job satisfaction. This relation was mediated by two scales of occupational burnout: personal accomplishment and emotional exhaustion. All three subscales of occupational burnout were significant predictors of job satisfaction, explaining 53% of its variance. The current study showed a relationship between the risk perception of COVID-19, occupational burnout and job satisfaction in Polish teachers during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results obtained in the study may contribute to the understanding of the effects of the pandemic for the professional group of educators.

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of fear of COVID-19 on depression and anxiety in longitudinal data and whether this relationship can be mediated by resilience. The sample of the study comprised of 144 university students (77% female and 23% male) between 18 and 39 years of age (M = 22.74 ± 2.93) and participants completed the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), and Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) at Time 1 and Time 2. Mediation analyses demonstrated that resilience (T2) was a significant mediator between fear of COVID-19 (T1) and depression and anxiety (T2). The findings of the study highlight the potential key role of resilience as a protective factor against the negative effects of pandemic challenges on individuals’ mental health.

BackgroundThe study aimed to assess burnout, resilience, and levels of depression, anxiety, stress and fear among community pharmacists during the pandemic, and examine if fear of COVID-19 is associated with these outcomes of interest. MethodsA cross-sectional survey of community pharmacists in Qatar was conducted. Pharmacists’ burnout was measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory: Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel (MBI-HSS™ for MP-Mindgarden). Resilience was assessed using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10 (CD-RISC-10). Depression, anxiety, and stress were measured by the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Fear of COVID-19 was assessed by the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S). Results256 respondents completed the survey and were included in the final study analysis (response rate: 42.7%). Overall, participants reported a moderate level of burnout as illustrated in the mean scores of the three burnout dimensions; 20.54 (SD = 12.37) for emotional exhaustion, 6.76 (SD = 6.22) for depersonalization, and 36.57 (SD = 9.95) for personal accomplishment. Moreover, depression, anxiety and stress were reported by 44.8%, 53.2% and 25.4% of particiants respectively. Participants had shown moderate resilience (mean score: 27.64 (SD = 8.31)) and their mean score fear of COVID19 was 15.67 (SD = 6.54). Fear of COVID-19 was a statistically significant and an independent predictor of depression, anxiety, and stress levels. ConclusionsThe pharmacists experienced moderate burnout but moderate resilience, which indicates their potential to overcome difficulties. Future interventions at the personal, national and organizational levels are required to enhance the pharmacists’ wellbeing by decreasing stress, improving self-efficacy and resilience, and preventing burnout.

Facing Your Fear of COVID-19: Resilience as a Protective Factor Against Burnout in South African Teachers

It remains unclear how fear of COVID-19 and resilience are related to psychological distress based on occupations among healthcare workers (HCWs) in hospitals treating patients with COVID-19. We conducted a survey on the mental health of HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic to determine the relationship between factors such as fear of COVID-19 and resilience as well as mental distress in each occupation of HCWs. We conducted a web-based survey among HCWs at seven hospitals treating COVID-19 patients in Japan from December 24, 2020 to March 31, 2021. A total of 634 participants were analyzed, and information regarding their socio-demographic characteristics and employment status was collected. Several psychometric measures were used, including the Kessler's Psychological Distress Scale (K6), the fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), and the Resilience Scale (RS14). Factors related to psychological distress were identified by logistic regression analysis. The association between job title and psychological scales was examined by one-way ANOVA, and t-tests were conducted to examine the association between the FCV-19S and hospital initiatives. It was found that nurses and clerical workers were associated with psychological distress without considering FCV-19S or RS14; in a model that included FCV-19S, FCV-19S was associated with psychological distress, but job title was not; when RS14 was considered, resilience was protective. In terms of occupation, FCV-19S was lower among physicians and higher among nurses and clerical workers, while RS14 was higher among physicians and lower among other occupations. Having access to in-hospital consultation regarding infection control as well as to psychological and emotional support was associated with lower FCV-19S. Based on our findings, we can conclude that the level of mental distress differed by occupation and the differences in the fear of COVID-19 and resilience were important factors. In order to provide mental healthcare for HCWs during a pandemic, it is important to create consultation services that enable employees to discuss their concerns. In addition, it is important to take steps to strengthen the resilience of HCWs in preparation for future disasters.

Burnout causes both physical and psychosocial problems. Nurses who experience burnout are more likely to underperform, compromise professional quality standards, engage in unethical practices, neglect their patients, work reluctantly, suffer from low job satisfaction, and consider quitting. Emotional intelligence is one’s ability to manage one's emotions. Emotional intelligence improves psychological health. This cross-sectional and descriptive study investigated the effect of emotional intelligence on burnout and fear of COVID-19. The research was conducted between March and July 2021. The sample consisted of 110 nurses. Data were collected using a personal information form, the Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS), the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Participants had high EIS, FCV-19S, and MBI scores. Participants who had received training in emotional intelligence before had a significantly higher median EIS score than those who had not (p<0.05). Moreover, participants who had received training in emotional intelligence before had substantially lower median MBI “emotional exhaustion” and “depersonalization” subscale scores than those who had not (p<0.05). There was a negative correlation between EIS and MBI scores, suggesting that the higher the emotional intelligence, the lower the burnout levels (p<0.05). However, there was no correlation between EIS and FCV-19S scores (p>0.05). Nurses with high emotional intelligence levels are less likely to experience burnout. Authorities should train nurses in emotional intelligence to help them cope with the challenges of possible epidemics, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) is considered the "gold standard" for measuring burnout, encompassing 3 scales: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Other well-being instruments have shown utility in various settings, and correlations between MBI and these instruments could provide evidence of relationships among key variables to guide well-being efforts. We explored correlations between the MBI and other well-being instruments. We fielded a multicenter survey of 9 emergency medicine (EM) residencies, administering the MBI and 4 published well-being instruments: a quality-of-life assessment, a work-life balance rating, an appraisal of career satisfaction, and the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders Patient Health Questionnaire 2 question screen. Consistent with the Maslach definition, burnout was defined by high emotional exhaustion (> 26) and high depersonalization (> 12). Of 334 residents, 261 (78%) responded. Residents who reported lower quality of life had higher emotional exhaustion (ρ = -0.437, P < .0001), higher depersonalization (ρ = -0.18, P < .005), and lower personal accomplishment (ρ = 0.347, P < .001). Residents who reported a negative work-life balance had emotional exhaustion (P < .001) and depersonalization (P < .009). Positive career satisfaction was associated with lower emotional exhaustion (P < .0001), lower depersonalization (P < .005), and higher personal accomplishment (P < .05). A positive depression screen was associated with higher emotional exhaustion, higher depersonalization, and lower personal achievement (all P < .0001). Our multicenter study of EM residents demonstrated that assessments using the MBI correlate with other well-being instruments.

The important, frontline role of teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic has often gone unrecognized, and attention to their mental health and well-being is often only the focus of scholarly research. The unprecedented challenges that teachers faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and the stresses and strains associated with it have severely impacted their psychological well-being. This study examined the predictors and the psychological consequences of burnout. Participants (N = 355) were schoolteachers in South Africa who completed the Perceived Vulnerability to Disease Questionnaire, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the Role Orientation Questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Centre for Epidemiological Depression Scale, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The results of a multiple regression showed that fear of COVID-19, role ambiguity, and role conflict were significant predictors of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, while perceived infectability and role ambiguity significantly predicted personal accomplishment. Gender and age also predicted emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, respectively, and age was also a significant predictor of personal accomplishment. Generally, the dimensions of burnout were significant predictors of indices of psychological well-being-namely, depression, hopelessness, anxiety, and life satisfaction-with the exception of the association between depersonalization and life satisfaction. Our results suggest that intervention efforts to reduce burnout need to provide teachers with adequate job resources to buffer against the demands and stressors associated with their work.

CONTEXT: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the psychological status of frontline medical professionals who constantly work under stressful situations. The role of social support and resilience in safeguarding the mental health of resident doctors, is an area, which has not received due attention.AIMS: To assess the psychological status (depression, anxiety, and fear of COVID-19) and its association with resilience and perceived social support in resident doctors during COVID-19 pandemic.SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among the resident doctors in a tertiary hospital in Kochi, Kerala.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A web-based survey created using Google forms was sent via social media groups to the resident doctors of a teaching hospital in Kochi between August to September 2020. Two hundred completed responses were obtained. Study tools included a sociodemographic proforma, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale-7, Fear of COVID-19 scale, Brief Resilience Scale, and Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey.STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Psychological status (depression, anxiety, fear of COVID-19) was expressed using descriptive statistics; its association with sociodemographic variables using Chi-square test and its correlation with resilience and social support using Pearson correlation.RESULTS: Depression and anxiety were reported in 69% and 59.5% of the respondents, respectively. The mean fear of COVID-19 score was 24.06 (3.220). Resilience and overall social support index showed a significant negative correlation with depression and anxiety scores (P = 0.000). Emotional social support and affectionate social support showed a significant negative correlation with fear of COVID-19 (P = 0.040; P = 0.045, respectively).Conclusion: A large proportion of resident doctors were noted to have depression, anxiety, and fear of COVID-19. Individuals with higher levels of resilience and perceived social support had lesser levels of depression, anxiety, and fear of COVID-19.

Healthcare workers’ burn-out, hopelessness, fear of COVID-19 and perceived social support levels

The turnover intention of elderly care workers affects the quality and costs of social care, worker overload and associated health risks. Preventing the turnover and job-related stress of elderly care workers is essential to effectively support the elderly and ensure high-quality care. This study investigated the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and turnover intention, and job-related stress through burnout. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Hungary with 269 elderly care workers. Data collection tools included a self-designed demographic questionnaire, the Turnover Intention Scale (TIS-6), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-HSS), Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) and Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19). Indirect effects of fear of COVID-19 were observed on the turnover intention (B = 0.092, p = .008), ER ratio (B = 0.009, p = .007), effort (B = 0.070, p = .007), and overcommitment (B = 0.093, p = .006) via emotional exhaustion. Additionally, fear of COVID-19 negatively influenced overcommitment (B = - 0.043, p = .017) through depersonalization. The models explained 26.3% of the variance in effort (R² = 0.263), 3.4% in reward (R² = 0.034), 23.9% in overcommitment (R² = 0.239), and 25.8% in the ER ratio (R² = 0.258). The mediating role of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization in the relationship between pandemic-related fear and turnover intention and job-related stress underscores the need for targeted interventions in Hungary's elderly care sector. These should focus on early detection of burnout symptoms, especially emotional exhaustion, and implement systematic strategies such as regular monitoring, stress management training, supportive supervision, and team-based peer support to mitigate the impact of chronic occupational stress. The study protocol was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov before the start of the study, on 02/08/2022 (identifier: NCT05487157).

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between burnout level and psychological resilience in parents of children with Down syndrome (DS). This study was conducted at a Special Education and Rehabilitation Center in Türkiye between August and October 2022. The sample of the correlational and cross-sectional study consisted of 80 parents of children with DS. In this study, descriptive characteristics form (DFC), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), and brief resilience scale (BRS) were used to collect data. The parents' mean scores on the emotional exhaustion subscale (EES) and personal achievement subscale (PAS) of MBI according to descriptive characteristics revealed statistically significant difference in the EES and PAS scores associated with the parents' age, gender, education status, working status, number of children in the family, and family type (p &lt; 0.05). The parents' mean scores on the BRS according to descriptive characteristics revealed statistically significant difference in BRS scores associated with the gender, educational status, working status, number of children, type of family, and presence of a chronic disease in the child (p &lt; 0.05). There was a strong negative correlation between the EES and the BRS (r = −0.740, p &lt; 0.05), and a strong positive correlation between the PAS and the BRS (r = 0.758, p &lt; 0.05). It was determined that parents' emotional exhaustion levels increased as their psychological resilience levels decreased, and parents' personal accomplishment increased as their psychological resilience levels increased.

Background and AimsCOVID‐19 has adversely impacted the public's mental health. One of the causes of psychopathology during the present pandemic is death anxiety and fear of COVID‐19. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of death anxiety and fear of COVID‐19 in Shiraz city, south of Iran.MethodsThis cross‐sectional study was conducted among 982 participants in Shiraz from October to November 2021. Data were collected using Templer's Death Anxiety Scale and the Fear of COVID‐19 Scale. Trained interviewers collected data throughout different city districts. A data‐driven approach (latent class analysis) was applied to categorize the participants and determine the risk factors.ResultsAmong the participants, 507 (51.6%) were female, and 475 (48.4%) were male. The participants’ mean age was 38.26 ± 15.16 years. Based on the analysis, 259 (26.4%), 512 (52.1%), and 211 (21.5%) participants had low, moderate, and severe levels of death anxiety. Also, 393 (40.06%) and 588 (59.94%) of the participants had low and high levels of fear, respectively. Higher death anxiety was significantly associated with being female, having an associate degree, being retired, share of medical expenditure from total expenditure of more than 10%, having a history of hospital admission due to COVID‐19, history of COVID‐19 in relatives, and having fear of COVID‐19. Also, being female, expenses equal to income, history of hospital admission due to COVID‐19, death in relatives, and higher death anxiety were linked to higher levels of fear of COVID‐19.ConclusionsDeath anxiety and fear of COVID‐19 are closely associated with each other and affected by various sociodemographic and economic factors. Given this pandemic's unpredictable nature and chronicity, interventions at the community level to support high‐risk groups are crucial.

Introduction and aim. University students have been demonstrated in the literature to be a group particularly vulnerable to mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to examine the correlation between the fear and anxiety levels of nursing students regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and their compliance with standard precautions. Material and methods. The sample consisted of 509 volunteer students. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), the COVID-19 Anxiety Scale (CAS) and the Compliance with Standard Precautions Scale (CSPS). Results. The FCV-19S, CAS, and CSPS mean scores of the students were respectively 17.49±5.24 1.99±3.54 and 13.46±3.61. There was a moderate correlation (p&lt;0.05) between the FCV-19S and CAS of the students, but no correlation was detected between CSPS and FCV-19S (p&gt;0.05) and CAS (p&gt;0.05). Conclusion. It was determined that students had a moderate fear of COVID-19 and a low level of anxiety over COVID-19. However, fear of COVID-19 and COVID-19 anxiety levels were not correlated with compliance with standard precautions.

BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, interpersonal relations were highly constrained due to the social distancing rules and sanitary restrictions imposed to prevent the transmission of the virus. These social changes gave rise to ever-deepening experiences of loneliness, deterioration of mental well-being, and fear of COVID-19, which affected the citizens of all the countries struggling with the pandemic.MethodsThe present paper reports the results of a study on mental health, interdependent happiness, loneliness and fear of COVID-19 in Polish and Japanese university students. A total of 180 people (83 Poles and 97 Japanese) aged 19–41 participated in the study. The participants were surveyed using the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form to assess three dimensions of mental health; the UCLA Three-Item Loneliness Scale to measure loneliness; the Interdependent Happiness Scale based on the concept of a relational sense of community with others as associated with well-being, and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S). The respondents were also asked one question about their subjectively perceived economic status.ResultsThe largest cross-cultural difference in the investigated variables concerned fear of COVID-19. The Japanese university students showed higher levels of this fear. The level of fear of COVID-19 in the group of women, regardless of the culture they came from, was not associated with any other variables we analyzed. In the Japanese sample, it was negatively correlated with interdependent happiness, and in the Polish sample, fear od COVID-19 was only correlated with the Social dimension of Mental Health. Other variables that differentiated the two nationalities, though to a lesser extent, were the Social dimension of Mental Health, which was higher in the Japanese sample, and the Psychological dimension of Social Health, with higher scores in the Polish sample.ConclusionThe power of mental resources, although it may vary among individuals, is independent of culture. Regardless of the level of fear of COVID-19 in the two cultures, the examined mental resources are positively associated with well-being and the return to normal functioning after the pandemic.