The importance of professional factors in the formation of stress reactions in medical workers during the pandemic of the new coronavirus infection COVID-19 (according to a questionnaire survey)

Abstract

Introduction. In the context of the pandemic of a new coronavirus infection, crises in the field of economy, education, politics and health have intensified. Medical workers turned out to be the most vulnerable category of the population in terms of the risk of developing emotional burnout. The additional challenges faced by healthcare professionals have multiplied the workload of healthcare professionals, as well as increased susceptibility to stress and burnout. The purpose of the study is to conduct a comparative analysis of the phases of the burnout syndrome among medical workers and to study the factors associated with the burnout syndrome during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods. The study involved healthcare workers in COVID hospitals (n=201); medical workers of the outpatient-polyclinic level (n=186); medical workers of multidisciplinary hospitals (n=195); control group (n=190). The following research methods were used: a questionnaire survey and a questionnaire by Boyko V.V. «Diagnosis of the level of emotional burnout», which is a questionnaire of 84 questions. Results. A high level of emotional burnout was revealed in the general sample of medical workers compared to the control group. The most pronounced signs of emotional distress: tension, resistance, exhaustion are found in medical workers in COVID hospitals compared to medical workers in multidisciplinary hospitals and outpatient clinics. Potential sources of stress for medical workers include: high workload, restrictive measures being introduced, fear of illness, lack and shortage of PPE, the threat and risk of contracting a new coronavirus infection, a long period of isolation, financial instability, insufficient (in the first stage) accumulated knowledge about a new little-studied disease, a feeling of discrimination and / or stigmatization.