Attention Deficits in Healthcare Workers with Non-Clinical Burnout: An Exploratory Investigation

Sergio L. Schmidt, Bruno da Silva Cunha (), Julio Cesar Tolentino, Marcela J. Schmidt, Guilherme J. Schmidt, Alice D. Marinho, Eelco van Duinkerken, Ana Lucia Taboada Gjorup, Jesus Landeira-Fernandez, Carolina Ribeiro Mello and Sarah Pini de Souza
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Sergio L. Schmidt: Post-Graduate Program, Department of Neurology, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-901, Brazil
Bruno da Silva Cunha: Post-Graduate Program, Department of Neurology, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-901, Brazil
Julio Cesar Tolentino: Post-Graduate Program, Department of Neurology, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-901, Brazil
Marcela J. Schmidt: Post-Graduate Program, Department of Neurology, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-901, Brazil
Guilherme J. Schmidt: Post-Graduate Program, Department of Neurology, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-901, Brazil
Alice D. Marinho: Post-Graduate Program, Department of Neurology, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-901, Brazil
Eelco van Duinkerken: Post-Graduate Program, Department of Neurology, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-901, Brazil
Ana Lucia Taboada Gjorup: Post-Graduate Program, Department of Neurology, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-901, Brazil
Jesus Landeira-Fernandez: Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University, Rio de Janeiro 22451-900, Brazil
Carolina Ribeiro Mello: Post-Graduate Program, Department of Neurology, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-901, Brazil
Sarah Pini de Souza: Post-Graduate Program, Department of Neurology, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-901, Brazil

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 2, 1-14

Abstract: Burnout syndrome is characterized by exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced effectiveness. Workers with high burnout scores who continue their professional activities are identified as experiencing non-clinical burnout (NCB), which includes early stages where burnout symptoms (BNS) are present but not yet severe enough to necessitate work leave. This study aimed to investigate the impact of BNS on attention performance among healthcare workers (HCWs) at a COVID-19 reference hospital during the pandemic. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was applied to assess the three burnout dimensions. The Continuous Visual Attention Test (CVAT) evaluated four different attention subdomains. Participants were divided into two groups based on their scores on the MBI: controls and NCB. Thirteen controls were matched with 13 NCB subjects based on age, sex, and HCW category. This sample ( n = 26, 65% male) consisted of 11 physicians and 15 nursing professionals with a mean age of 35.3 years (standard deviation = 5.47). NCB subjects had higher impulsivity than controls. There were not any significant group differences in the other attention subdomains. We found significant correlations between impulsivity and all burnout dimensions: higher absolute scores in BNS are associated with higher impulsivity. We concluded that NCB leads to executive attention deficits

Keywords: burnout; healthcare professionals; attention deficits; impulsivity; executive functions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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