Emotional exhaustion and psychological distress among health care workers after the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquake: Prevalence and associated factors.
American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, cilt.95, sa.2, ss.212-222, 2025 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 95 Sayı: 2
- Basım Tarihi: 2025
- Doi Numarası: 10.1037/ort0000792
- Dergi Adı: American Journal of Orthopsychiatry
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Periodicals Index Online, Educational research abstracts (ERA), EMBASE, MLA - Modern Language Association Database, Psycinfo, Social Sciences Abstracts
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.212-222
- Anahtar Kelimeler: disasters, mental disorders, nurse's role, preventive health services, health personnel
- Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Concerns about health workers’ burnout and psychological well-being have increased as public health crises spread worldwide. This study aims to examine the burnout and psychological distress levels among health care professionals working in our children's hospital 1 month after the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquake. A total of 213 health care workers (180 females, 84.5%, mean age 32.67) were included in the study. This cross-sectional study assessed burnout symptoms, psychological distress, and resilience via the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Depression and Anxiety Stress Scale–21, and the Brief Resilience Scale, respectively. A substantial number of participants (n = 117, 54.9%) reported high emotional exhaustion; approximately half of those were nurses (n = 56, 47.9%). The nurses had higher emotional exhaustion, depression, and stress scores as well as lower self-reported resilience scores than other health care assistants. Higher stress scores were associated with an increased likelihood of high emotional exhaustion, while having more work experience was a protective factor regarding the high emotional exhaustion of nurses. Our results showed that a significant proportion of health care workers had a high level of burnout. Frontline nurses as a group were at heightened risk for psychological distress and emotional exhaustion in the early stages of the disaster. Screening burnout and psychological distress in health care professionals is important for preventive strategies after the disaster. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) In terms of practice and policy, these findings underline that the early postdisaster period can significantly burden health care workers, particularly nurses, affecting their mental health and reported resilience. Health care organizations should support frontline nurses, particularly those with less work experience during acute disasters, by making resources available to address stressors and improve their resilience. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)