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Journal of Psychosomatic Research

Available online 21 November 2022, 111102
In Press, Journal Pre-proof

Burnout among hospital staff

during the COVID-19 pandemic:
Longitudinal results from the
international Cope-Corona survey
study
Markus M. Müller , Eva Baillès, Jordi Blanch
, Xavier Torres , Araceli Rousaud , Silvia Cañizares
, Cervera Teruel Marta, Chiara Conti , Pádraic J. Dunne
, Fadgyas Stanculete Mihaela , Josep Maria Farré, Elena Font
, Elena Gayán, Maria Teresa Guagnano , Sarah König
, Nina Kundinger , Roberta Lanzara , Antonio Lobo
, Ali-Akbar Nejatisafa , Amadeu Obach , Gozie Offiah
, Josep Maria Peri , Ilenia Rosa , Sara Katharina Schuster
, Christiane Waller , Barbara Stein , The Cope-Corona Study
Group

Paracelsus Medical University, General Hospital

Nuremberg, Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and
Psychotherapy, Nuremberg, Germany

Received 4 August 2022, Revised 18 November 2022, Accepted 19

November 2022, Available online 21 November 2022.

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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2022.111102
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Highlights
• We surveyed hospital staff in an
international, longitudinal study.

• Burnout was high among hospital staff

with high contact with COVID-19
patients.

• Lower burnout was found for high self-

compassion and sense of coherence.

• Perceived support at the workplace and

health and safety at the workplace were
predictive of lower levels of burnout.

Abstract

Objective
Long-term changes in burnout and its predictors in
hospital staff during the COVID-19 pandemic were
investigated in an international study.

Methods
Two online surveys were distributed to hospital staff in
seven countries (Germany, Andorra, Ireland, Spain,
Italy, Romania, Iran) between May and October 2020
(T1) and between February and April 2021 (T2), using
the following variables: Burnout (emotional exhaustion
and depersonalization), job function, age, gender, and
contact with COVID-19 patients; individual resources
(self-compassion, sense of coherence, social support)
and work-related resources and demands (support at
the workplace, risk perception, health and safety at the
workplace, altruistic acceptance of risk). Data were
analyzed using linear mixed models repeated
measures, controlled for age.

Results
A total of 612 respondents were included (76%
women). We found an increase in burnout from T1 to
T2. Burnout was high among personnel with high
contact with COVID-19 patients. Individual factors
(self-compassion, sense of coherence) and work-related
factors (support at the workplace, risk perception,
health and safety at the workplace) showed associations
with burnout. Low health and safety at the workplace
at T1 was associated with an increase in emotional
exhaustion at T2. Men showed an increase in
depersonalization if they had much contact with
COVID-19 patients.

Conclusion
Burnout represents a potential problematic
consequence of occupational contact with COVID-19
patients. Special attention should be paid to this group
in organizational health management. Self-
compassion, sense of coherence, support at the
workplace, risk perception, and health and safety at the
workplace may be important starting points for
interventions.

Registration.

Müller, M. M. (2020, August 30). Cope-Corona:

Identifying and strengthening personal resources of
hospital staff to cope with the Corona pandemic. Open
Science Foundation.

Keywords
COVID-19; Burnout; Job demands resources
model; Hospital staff; Longitudinal survey

Abbreviations
COSMO, COVID-19 Snapshot Monitoring;
EAPM, European Association of Psychosomatic
Medicine; ESSI, ENRICHD Social Support
Inventory; GAD-2, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-
2; HCW, Health Care Workers; JDR model, Job-
Demands-Resources model; KMO, Kayser-
Meyer-Olkin criterion; MBI, Maslach Burnout
Inventory; MMRM, Mixed Models Repeated
Measures; PGI-10, Post-Traumatic Growth
Inventory; PHQ-2, Patient Health Questionnaire-
2; PPE, Personal Protective Equipment; PSS-4,
Perceived Stress Scale; SARS, Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome; SCS, Self-Compassion
Scale; SOC, Sense of Coherence; SSCS-S, State
Self-Compassion Scale – Short; T1, First
assessment period between May and November
2020; T2, Second assessment period between
February and April 2021

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