The assessment of burn-out and related factors in primary care workers in Adana province during COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective: Burn-out is a common condition in occupational groups that provide face-to-face service to humans, such as healthcare workers. The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought some psychosocial problems together due to unusual conditions. The present study aimed to evaluate the burn-out status and related factors in primary care workers who actively play a role in fighting against the pandemic. Material and Method: In this cross-sectional study, it was aimed to reach 1210 primary care workers who were actively working in Adana province between March 01, 2021, and April 30, 2021, and it was conducted with 513 volunteers. Data were collected through a sociodemographic data collection form prepared by the researcher in the light of the literature and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), and analyzed SPSS 20.0 statistical package form. Results: Desensitization score was higher in males and in those with shorter professional experience. Being a family medicine resident, not having children, choosing the job without desire, low occupational satisfaction, not resting enough, having worked in COVID-19 outpatient and inpatient clinics, having contact with infected persons, and worrying about being infected or family members' being infected were found to be the factors associated with burn-out. A statistically significant relationship was not found between burn-out and marital status, the presence of chronic diseases, total weekly working hours, and being on duty. Of the participants, 93.4% (n=479) stated that their stress level increased as compared to the pre-pandemic period and 23% (n=118) stated that they needed psychological support. Conclusion: It is suggested that reviewing the correctable factors related to burn-out and making interventions would contribute to healthcare workers' feeling better psychosocially, enable them to do their work up, and improve the quality of healthcare services that is a critical service. Keywords: Family medicine, primary care, COVID-19 pandemic, burn-out