Women Physicians: Burnout during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Brazil

• Authors: Glaucia Maria Moraes de Oliveira, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; Viviana Guzzo Lemke, Cardiocare; Maria Sanali Moura de Oliveira Paiva, Hospital Universitário Onofre Lopes; Giordana Zeferino Mariano, Hospital São João Batista; Elizabeth Regina Giunco Alexandre Silva, Hospital do Coração; Sheyla Cristina Tonheiro Ferro da Silva, CEMISE; Magaly Arrais dos Santos, Hospital do Coração; Imara Correia de Queiroz Barbosa, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande; Carla Janice Baister Lantieri, Centro Universitário Faculdade de Medicina do ABC; Elizabeth de Rosa Duarte, Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceição; Maria Cristina Oliveira Izar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo; Karin Jaeger Anzolch, Hospital Moinhos de Vento; Milena Alonso Egea Gerez, Universidade Federal do Maranhão; Mayara Viana de Oliveira Ramos, Universidade Federal do Maranhão; Maria Antonieta Albanez Albuquerque de Medeiro Lopes, Real Hospital Português; Emilia Matos do Nascimento, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro; Nanette Wenger, Emory University
• Journal Title: ARQUIVOS BRASILEIROS DE CARDIOLOGIA
• Volume: Volume 119, Number 2
• Publisher: ARQUIVOS BRASILEIROS CARDIOLOGIA | 2022-01-01, Pages 307-315
• Type of Work: Article | Final Publisher PDF
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.36660/abc.20210938
• Subjects: Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery; Health Sciences, Health Care Management
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems; Cardiovascular System & Cardiology; Physicians; Women; Burnout; Psychological; COVID-19; Brazil; VALIDATION

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 has placed a tremendous burden on physicians worldwide, especially women physicians, affected by increased workload and loss of quality of life. Objective: To assess the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the quality of life, burnout and spirituality of Brazilian women physicians directly or indirectly providing care to COVID-19 patients. Methods: Prospective, observational study performed from July 28 to September 27, 2020, in Brazil, with women physicians from 47 specialities, the most frequent being cardiology (22.8%), with no age restriction. They voluntarily answered an online survey with questions on demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, quality of life (WHOQOL-brief), spirituality (WHOQOL-SRPB), and statements from the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory. Statistical analysis used the R software, beta regression, classification trees, and polychoric correlation matrix, with a 5% of significance level. Results: Of the 769 respondents, 61.6% reported signs of burnout. About 64% reported wage loss of up to 50% during the pandemic. Some reported lack of energy for daily tasks, frequent negative feelings, dissatisfaction with capability for work, and caring for others not adding meaning to their lives. Negative feelings correlated negatively with satisfaction with sexual life and personal relations, and energy for daily tasks. The inability to remain optimistic in times of uncertainty correlated positively with feeling unsafe daily and not acknowledging that caring for others brings meaning to life. Conclusion: This study showed a high frequency of burnout among Brazilian women physicians who answered the survey during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, they presented with a relatively good quality of life and believed that spirituality comforted and reassured them in hard times.