Burnout in Intensive Care Unit Workers during the Second Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Single Center Cross-Sectional Italian Study

Nino Stocchetti, Giulia Segre, Elisa R. Zanier, Michele Zanetti, Rita Campi, Francesca Scarpellini, Antonio Clavenna and Maurizio Bonati
Additional contact information
Nino Stocchetti: Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit, Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy
Giulia Segre: Laboratory for Mother and Child Health, Department of Public Health, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy
Elisa R. Zanier: Laboratory of Acute Brain Injury and Therapeutic Strategies, Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy
Michele Zanetti: Laboratory for Mother and Child Health, Department of Public Health, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy
Rita Campi: Laboratory for Mother and Child Health, Department of Public Health, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy
Francesca Scarpellini: Laboratory for Mother and Child Health, Department of Public Health, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy
Antonio Clavenna: Laboratory for Mother and Child Health, Department of Public Health, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy
Maurizio Bonati: Laboratory for Mother and Child Health, Department of Public Health, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 11, 1-15

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic had a massive impact on the Italian healthcare systems, which became overwhelmed, leading to an increased risk of psychological pressure on ICU workers. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of distress (anxiety, depression and insomnia symptoms), burnout syndrome and resilience in healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and to detect potential factors associated with their psychological response. This cross-sectional, survey-based study enrolled 136 healthcare workers assisting COVID-19 patients in the new COVID-19 ward (Intensive Care Unit), at Milano Fiera, Lombardy. Participants completed an online survey that comprised different validated and standardized questionnaires: Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Resilience Scale for adults (RSA), Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Socio-demographic and work characteristics were also collected. Out of 136 ICU specialists, there were 84 nurses (62%) and 52 physicians (38%). Over half (60%) met the criteria for burnout, with nearly the same percentages among nurses and physicians. Nurses reported significantly higher scores of anxiety and insomnia levels. Forty-five percent of participants reported symptoms of depression (of whom 13.9% in the clinical range) and most of the staff showed moderate to high levels (82.4%) of resilience. The COVID-19 pandemic can have a significant impact on ICU staff. Effective interventions are needed to maintain healthcare professionals’ mental health and relieve burnout. Follow-up and tailored procedures should be provided to alleviate the psychological burden in the frontline staff at highest risk.

Keywords: intensive care units; burnout; psychological distress; COVID-19; health personnel (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/11/6102/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/11/6102/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:11:p:6102-:d:569512

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().