A pilot study of burnout and long covid in senior specialist doctors

BACKGROUND: Covid-19 has placed unprecedented demand on healthcare systems and on healthcare professionals. There have been concerns about the risk of distress, moral injury and burnout among healthcare professionals, especially doctors. AIM: To assess the effect of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic on Irish doctors by investigating the incidence of burnout and long covid among senior medical staff in Ireland. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional pilot study of the prevalence of burnout and long covid among senior physicians. A survey was sent by email to members of the Irish Hospital Consultant’s Association. The survey included measures of mental and physical health and the 2-item Maslach Burnout Scale (MBS-2). The study explored the experience of delivering health care in the context of a pandemic and experience of the long covid syndrome. RESULTS: A total of 114 responses were received. Three-quarters 77% (N = 88) screened positive for burnout on the MBS, with mean score of 5.6 (SD3.3), nearly double the cut-off for burnout. Nearly two-thirds (64%, n = 72) reported that Covid-19 has had an adverse effect on their mental health. One-quarter reported that they or colleagues had experience of ‘long-covid’ secondary to the virus. CONCLUSION: More comprehensive evaluation of the effect of the pandemic on front-line staff is needed to identify the extent of the problem and the factors which contribute to it. This will inform measures to mitigate these effects.