Abstract
Background and Objective: Emergency medical physicians are regarded as essential frontline staff in combating the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. These health-care workers are faced with significant stressors in addition to the usual stress felt in their regular work. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and burnout among emergency physicians on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic.Method: Using a cross-sectional study methodology, we surveyed physicians active on April 2020 to study depression and anxiety [using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)] and burnout [using the Abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory (aMBI) scale].Results: A total of 154 emergency physicians completed the survey. We found that about 65.6% of patients were experiencing anxiety (based on a HADS score ≥ 11), and 73.4% were displaying depressive symptoms. For burnout, three subscales indicated that 67.5% endured emotional exhaustion, and 48.1% experienced depersonalization (defined as a score of ≥10 on aMBI). A total of 21.4% of respondents perceived a sense of personal underachievement, defined as a score of <10 via aMBI.Conclusion: Physicians' psychological status is crucial and plays a major role in their well-being, affecting their work satisfaction. Therefore, implementing strategies aimed at decreasing the impact of stressful events is crucial to alleviate the distress experienced by physicians on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Highlights
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was identified in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, as the cause of numerous severe viral pneumonia cases [1]
In terms of the length of their work week, we found that participants worked an approximate mean of 52.95 ± 9.71 h/week, with a mean of 3.68 ± 0.685 night shifts per month for emergency physicians
Our data demonstrated that 67.5% (n = 104) of subjects suffered from emotional exhaustion, while 48.1% (n = 74) experienced depersonalization
Summary
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was identified in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, as the cause of numerous severe viral pneumonia cases [1]. Emergency medical physicians are regarded as frontline staff in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. They are the first contact point for any patients who display signs and symptoms of COVID-19 infection. This is in addition to the usual stress felt by emergency physicians during their work [4]. Emergency medical physicians are regarded as essential frontline staff in combating the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. These health-care workers are faced with significant stressors in addition to the usual stress felt in their regular work. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and burnout among emergency physicians on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic
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