The Emotional Impact on Mental Health Workers in the Care of Patients with Mental Disorders in the Pandemic and Post COVID-19 Pandemic: a Measure of "Burnout" and "Compassion Fatigue".

BACKGROUND

Emotional pressure, fear, and uncertainties affected healthcare workers (HCWs) who played a significant role during the COVID-19 pandemic. After the pandemic crisis, the consequences on the health of mental HealhCare Workers are still significant. Our work aimed to evaluate burnout and compassion fatigue in HCWs.

METHOD

In our observational study, 102 (65 females, 37 males) mental HCWs were evaluated during and post-COVID-19 pandemic. We used the Compassion Fatigue-Short Scale, Balanced Emotional Empathy Scale, and Beck Depression Inventory.

RESULTS

Subscale Secondary Trauma Stress of CF-SS demonstrated an increase in the rate in the post-pandemic phase (24.51% in all HCWs). The percentage reached in males was high (37.84%). Instead, the levels of Job Burnout remained constant in the two periods analyzed (during and post-COVID-19). Depressive symptoms remained constant with a prevalence in females of the post-COVID period.

CONCLUSION

The results confirm increased stress secondary to the traumatic event, while the levels of job burnout are high. Closely associated with compassion fatigue are levels of empathy that were found to be unchanged.