Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among Frontline Nurses during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Relationship with Occupational Burnout

Amaneh Fateminia; Shirin Hasanvand; Fateme Goudarzi; Rasool Mohammadi

doi:10.18502/ijps.v17i4.10693

Amaneh Fateminia Student Research Committee, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.
Shirin Hasanvand Social Determinants of Health Research Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.
Fateme Goudarzi Social Determinants of Health Research Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.
Rasool Mohammadi Nutritional Health Research Center, School of Health and Nutrition, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijps.v17i4.10693

Keywords: Burnout; COVID-19; Nurses; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to determine the level of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among nurses and its relationship with occupational burnout.

Method: This online cross-sectional survey was conducted from late November to early January 2020 in six hospitals in Iran. 309 frontline nurses in COVID-19 wards were selected via stratified random sampling and asked to complete a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Impact of Event Scale-revised version (IES-R), and the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) in an anonymous online survey. Data management and analysis were performed in SPSS 25.0 using descriptive and inferential statistics, including Pearson’s correlation coefficient, independent samples t-test, ANOVA, and linear regression.

Results: The majority of the participants were women (81.6%) with a mean ± SD age of 31.56 ± 6.42 years. The mean ± SD of the total PTSD score was 39.2 ± 16.44 years, indicating severe PTSD among nurses. The mean ± SD of the total occupational burnout score was 82.77 ± 19.38, expressing moderate burnout. The findings also demonstrated a significant moderate correlation between PTSD and occupational burnout (r = 0.363, P < 0.001). Univariate analysis revealed a significant relationship of occupational burnout with PTSD, work experience, number of night shifts per month, and employment status (P < 0.05). However, in multivariate analysis, only PTSD had a positive and significant relationship with occupational burnout (P < 0.001; R2 = 160; β = 0.339) and was a predicting factor for it.

Conclusion: We found that both PTSD and burnout are common among nurses. Given the role of PTSD especially as a predictor of burnout and the significant impact of these disorders on occupational and non-occupational activities, immediate and appropriate measures are necessary to monitor and reduce their effects on the nurses who are at the forefront of fighting the pandemic.