A Study on the Mental Health and Burnout of Medical Staff Responding to the Coronavirus Disease 2019
10.4306/jknpa.2023.62.3.118
- Author:
Bora CHUNG
1
;
Dayoung LEE
;
Jung Hyun LEE
;
So Yeon HYUN
;
Songeun LEE
;
Suk-Hyun LEE
;
Minyoung SIM
Author Information
1. National Center for Disaster and Trauma, National Center for Mental Health, Seoul, Korea
- Publication Type:ORIGINAL ARTICLE
- From:Journal of Korean Neuropsychiatric Association
2023;62(3):118-125
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Objectives:This study was conducted to identify the level of mental health and burnout of medical staff at hospitals and public health centers, which responded to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in South Korea and to suggest appropriate management plans.
Methods:The mental health and burnout levels of medical staff responding to COVID-19 were evaluated through an online survey conducted during the period July 1–14, 2021. To analyze the mental health status of the participants according to their demographic characteristics, the chisquare test, t-test, and an analysis of variance were conducted, followed by Scheffe post-hoc tests for pairwise comparisons.
Results:A total of 773 participants were included in the study. An analysis of the clinically significant symptoms of the group showed that 29.5% had posttraumatic stress symptoms, 30.6% had depression, 15.8% had anxiety, 39.8% had somatic symptoms, and 4.5% were seen to be at risk of suicide. The average scores for burnout were as follows: 3.55±1.75 for emotional exhaustion, 2.68±1.73 for depersonalization, and 3.89±1.40 for personal accomplishment. Mental health problems and burnout were found to be high in women, those in the 20–39-year age bracket, those with less than 5 years of work experience, and public health center workers.
Conclusion:The medical staff responding to COVID-19 were observed to experience high levels of mental health and burnout problems. Work-related characteristics, such as younger age, lower work experience, and employment at a public health center, may have a negative impact on mental health and cause burnout. Therefore, individualized and systemic support for mental health and to prevent the burnout of medical staff responding to cases of COVID-19 is needed.
