IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2023i5p4414-d1084994.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

COVID-19 and Psychosocial Well-Being: Did COVID-19 Worsen U.S. Frontline Healthcare Workers’ Burnout, Anxiety, and Depression?

Author

Listed:
  • M. Lelinneth B. Novilla

    (Department of Public Health, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA)

  • Victor B. A. Moxley

    (J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA)

  • Carl L. Hanson

    (Department of Public Health, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA)

  • Alisha H. Redelfs

    (Department of Public Health, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA)

  • Jeffrey Glenn

    (Department of Public Health, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA)

  • Paola G. Donoso Naranjo

    (Department of Public Health, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA)

  • Jenna M. S. Smith

    (Department of Public Health, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA)

  • Lynneth Kirsten B. Novilla

    (Department of Public Health, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA)

  • Sarah Stone

    (Department of Public Health, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA)

  • Rachel Lafitaga

    (Department of Public Health, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA)

Abstract

Healthcare workers are highly regarded for their compassion, dedication, and composure. However, COVID-19 created unprecedented demands that rendered healthcare workers vulnerable to increased burnout, anxiety, and depression. This cross-sectional study assessed the psychosocial impact of COVID-19 on U.S. healthcare frontliners using a 38-item online survey administered by Reaction Data between September and December 2020. The survey included five validated scales to assess self-reported burnout (Maslach Summative Burnout Scale), anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-2), resilience (Brief Resilience Coping Scale), and self-efficacy (New Self-Efficacy Scale-8). We used regression to assess the relationships between demographic variables and the psychosocial scales index scores and found that COVID-19 amplified preexisting burnout (54.8%), anxiety (138.5%), and depression (166.7%), and reduced resilience (5.70%) and self-efficacy (6.5%) among 557 respondents (52.6% male, 47.5% female). High patient volume, extended work hours, staff shortages, and lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and resources fueled burnout, anxiety, and depression. Respondents were anxious about the indefinite duration of the pandemic/uncertain return to normal (54.8%), were anxious of infecting family (48.3%), and felt conflicted about protecting themselves versus fulfilling their duty to patients (44.3%). Respondents derived strength from their capacity to perform well in tough times (74.15%), emotional support from family/friends (67.2%), and time off work (62.8%). Strategies to promote emotional well-being and job satisfaction can focus on multilevel resilience, safety, and social connectedness.

Suggested Citation

  • M. Lelinneth B. Novilla & Victor B. A. Moxley & Carl L. Hanson & Alisha H. Redelfs & Jeffrey Glenn & Paola G. Donoso Naranjo & Jenna M. S. Smith & Lynneth Kirsten B. Novilla & Sarah Stone & Rachel Laf, 2023. "COVID-19 and Psychosocial Well-Being: Did COVID-19 Worsen U.S. Frontline Healthcare Workers’ Burnout, Anxiety, and Depression?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-20, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:5:p:4414-:d:1084994
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/5/4414/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/5/4414/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sofia Pappa & Nikolaos Athanasiou & Nikolaos Sakkas & Stavros Patrinos & Elpitha Sakka & Zafeiria Barmparessou & Stamatoula Tsikrika & Andreas Adraktas & Athanasia Pataka & Ilias Migdalis & Sofia Gida, 2021. "From Recession to Depression? Prevalence and Correlates of Depression, Anxiety, Traumatic Stress and Burnout in Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Greece: A Multi-Center, Cross-Section," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-16, March.
    2. Jiawei Zhou & Yanjie Yang & Xiaohui Qiu & Xiuxian Yang & Hui Pan & Bo Ban & Zhengxue Qiao & Lin Wang & Wenbo Wang, 2016. "Relationship between Anxiety and Burnout among Chinese Physicians: A Moderated Mediation Model," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(8), pages 1-15, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jennifer E. Moreno-Jiménez & Luis Manuel Blanco-Donoso & Evangelia Demerouti & Sylvia Belda Hofheinz & Mario Chico-Fernández & Bernardo Moreno-Jiménez & Eva Garrosa, 2021. "The Role of Healthcare Professionals’ Passion in Predicting Secondary Traumatic Stress and Posttraumatic Growth in the Face of COVID-19: A Longitudinal Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-16, April.
    2. Ovidiu Popa-Velea & Liliana Veronica Diaconescu & Iuliana Raluca Gheorghe & Oana Olariu & Iolanda Panaitiu & Mariana Cerniţanu & Ludmila Goma & Irina Nicov & Larisa Spinei, 2019. "Factors Associated with Burnout in Medical Academia: An Exploratory Analysis of Romanian and Moldavian Physicians," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-13, July.
    3. Sofia Pappa & Joshua Barnett & Ines Berges & Nikolaos Sakkas, 2021. "Tired, Worried and Burned Out, but Still Resilient: A Cross-Sectional Study of Mental Health Workers in the UK during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-14, April.
    4. Wang, Lijing & Wang, Yanlong & Chen, Yingchun & Pan, Xing & Zhang, Wenjin, 2020. "Performance shaping factors dependence assessment through moderating and mediating effect analysis," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 202(C).
    5. Bram P. I. Fleuren & Lieze T. Poesen & Rachel E. Gifford & Fred R. H. Zijlstra & Dirk Ruwaard & Frank C. van de Baan & Daan D. Westra, 2021. "We’re Not Gonna Fall: Depressive Complaints, Personal Resilience, Team Social Climate, and Worries about Infections among Hospital Workers during a Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-14, April.
    6. Katarzyna Gustavsson & Zuzanna Goetz-Kundera & Magdalena Flaga-Łuczkiewicz & Adam Wichniak, 2023. "Which Aspects of Work Safety Satisfaction Are Important to Mental Health of Healthcare Workers during COVID-19 Pandemic in Poland?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-9, February.
    7. Yu-Tung Chang & Yih-Jin Hu, 2022. "Burnout and Health Issues among Prehospital Personnel in Taiwan Fire Departments during a Sudden Spike in Community COVID-19 Cases: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-11, February.
    8. Li, Ying & Chen, Hongyu & Xin, Xiaoyang & Ji, Ming, 2020. "The influence of mindfulness on mental state with regard to safety among civil pilots," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    9. Shujuan Yang & Danping Liu & Hongbo Liu & Juying Zhang & Zhanqi Duan, 2017. "Relationship of work-family conflict, self-reported social support and job satisfaction to burnout syndrome among medical workers in southwest China: A cross-sectional study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(2), pages 1-12, February.
    10. Revathi Jyothindran & James P d’Etienne & Kevin Marcum & Aubre Tijerina & Clare Graca & Heidi Knowles & Bharti R Chaudhari & Nestor R Zenarosa & Hao Wang, 2020. "Fulfillment, burnout and resilience in emergency medicine—Correlations and effects on patient and provider outcomes," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(10), pages 1-12, October.
    11. Rui She & Lijuan Li & Qian Yang & Jianyan Lin & Xiaoli Ye & Suliu Wu & Zhenggui Yang & Suzhen Guan & Jianxin Zhang & Rachel Hau Yin Ling & Joseph Tak Fai Lau, 2022. "Associations between COVID-19 Work-Related Stressors and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms among Chinese Doctors and Nurses: Application of Stress-Coping Theory," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-15, May.
    12. Ilana Dubovi & Angela Ruban & Anat Amit Aharon, 2022. "The Role of Science-Based Knowledge on the SARS-CoV-2 Virus in Reducing COVID-19-Induced Anxiety among Nurses," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-10, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:5:p:4414-:d:1084994. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.