The COVID-19 pandemic and mental health of healthcare workers in Serbia

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic was a challenging experience for many professionals worldwide. Healthcare workers in particular had to invest a lot of efforts to cope with the stressors related to professional challenges, which can adversely affect their mental health and cause burnout syndrome. However, it is important to explore mental health outcomes of the pandemic among healthcare workers in the context of a specific country. This study examined the effects of increased professional and personal demands on the health workers' mental health after almost two years of dealing with the pandemic. A cross-sectional online anonymous survey was conducted during October 2021. The sample consisted of 286 healthcare workers (76.7% male) from all regions of Serbia. The questionnaire included socio-demographic data, professional and personal experiences during the pandemic, mental health difficulties, and burnout. The results indicate that more than half of the participants experienced a high or moderate level of depressive symptoms, anxiety and stress. Emotional exhaustion as a symptom of burnout was reported by almost all participants (91.9%), followed by moderate compassion fatigue (60.8%) and lower level of self-efficiency (23.8%). The most significant predictors of burnout and mental health difficulties referred to impaired working conditions and insufficient instructions from superiors, a high level of personal concern about the infection, and maladaptive coping strategies. The results point to the importance of providing psychosocial support to healthcare workers in order to prevent further mental health impairments. Still, interventions should be focused on the external organizational factors instead of addressing solely individual vulnerability.