Burnout and Depression in Portuguese Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic—The Mediating Role of Psychological Resilience

Carla Serrão, Ivone Duarte, Luísa Castro and Andreia Teixeira
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Carla Serrão: School of Education-Polytechnic of Porto, Portugal and Centre for Research and Innovation in Education, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Ivone Duarte: Faculty of Medicine, MEDCIDS-Department of Community Medicine, Information and Decision in Health, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
Luísa Castro: Faculty of Medicine, MEDCIDS-Department of Community Medicine, Information and Decision in Health, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
Andreia Teixeira: Faculty of Medicine, MEDCIDS-Department of Community Medicine, Information and Decision in Health, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 2, 1-13

Abstract: During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers (HCW) have been exposed to multiple psychosocial stressors. Resilience might protect employees from the negative consequences of chronic stress. The aim of this study was to explore the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between depression and burnout (personal, work-related, and client-related). A cross-sectional study was performed using an online questionnaire distributed via social networks. A survey was conducted comprising standardized measures of resilience (Resilience Scale-25 items), depression (subscale of Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 items), and burnout (Copenhagen Burnout Inventory Scale-19 items). A total of 2008 subjects completed the survey, and a hierarchical regression model was estimated for each burnout dimension. The results revealed that depression had not only a directed effect on personal, work- and client-related burnout, but also an indirect small effect on it through resilience. Psychological resilience played a partial mediating role between depression and all burnout dimensions. This partial mediation suggests that there may be other possible variables (e.g., social connection, self-compassion, gratitude, sense of purpose) that further explain the associations.

Keywords: COVID-19; healthcare workers; resilience; depression; burnout (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 (16)

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