COVID-19 pandemic: Burnout syndrome in health professionals in a field hospital in the south of Minas Gerais

Abstract

The hospital environment exposes health professionals to hostile patients, limited supplies and work overload, factors that contribute to increased stress in them. Furthermore, with the COVID-19 pandemic, these factors intensified and several professionals presented problems related to mental health, such as the development of Burnout Syndrome. This syndrome is characterized by physical and mental exhaustion, consisting of three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and low professional achievement. Given this scenario, a quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out with the objective of determining the sociodemographic characterization and the presence of Burnout Syndrome among health professionals at Santa Casa de Alfenas-MG (Minas Gerais) through the application of questionnaires. including sociodemographic characterization and the Maslasch Burnout Inventory. The study population consisted of 57 volunteers. Of these, 54.5% were single, 64.9% were white, with an average age of 35 years, 42.1% were nursing technicians and 56.1% worked 30 to 50 hours a week. Regarding the pandemic, 78.9% of individuals did not need to move home to protect their family members and 52.6% worked on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, professionals were observed to have a medium level of emotional exhaustion, high depersonalization and high personal fulfillment. The findings of the present study indicate a high risk of Burnout Syndrome in 19% of individuals. Therefore, it is suggested the development of health promotion programs for these professionals, together with activities that improve quality of life.