Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41204252›Full record

ArticleHuman resources for health2025

Work experiences, burnout, and psychological distress of frontline health professionals during the COVID-19 omicron epidemic: a multicenter cross-sectional study in Southern China.

Xiuyuan Shi, Pei Xie, Zhiming Zhou, Yunpeng Zhao, Kanru Luo, Gang Liu, Xinxin Han

Abstract readMulticenter Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Human resources for health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Xiuyuan ShiSchool of Public Health and Emergency Management, Southern University of Science and Technology, Office 120, Taizhou Hall, 1088 Xueyuan Ave., Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
Pei XieSchool of Public Health and Emergency Management, Southern University of Science and Technology, Office 120, Taizhou Hall, 1088 Xueyuan Ave., Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
Zhiming ZhouShenzhen Community Health Association, Shenzhen, China.
Yunpeng ZhaoShenzhen Community Health Association, Shenzhen, China.
Kanru LuoShenzhen Community Health Association, Shenzhen, China.
Gang LiuShenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China.
Xinxin HanSchool of Public Health and Emergency Management, Southern University of Science and Technology, Office 120, Taizhou Hall, 1088 Xueyuan Ave., Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, China. hanxx@sustech.edu.cn.

Funding

Guangdong Office of Philosophy and Social Science GD22XGL56Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Committee JSGG20200225152848007
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has substantially increased burnout and psychological distress among frontline health professionals. Although this issue has been widely recognized, limited research has explored specific work arrangements during the Omicron epidemic and the associations with burnout and psychological distress among frontline healthcare professionals.

methodsWe conducted a citywide, multicenter cross-sectional survey from July 12 to 26, 2022, during the Omicron outbreak in Shenzhen, China. Participants included physicians, nurses, and health technicians from public hospitals and community health centers. Burnout was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel (MBI-HSS-MP), and psychological distress was assessed using the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Multinomial logistic regression models were constructed to examine associations of specific work arrangements with burnout and psychological distress.

resultsAmong the 3158 respondents, 85.5% reported high levels of burnout and 50.4% reported psychological distress. Over one-third were consistently assigned to nucleic acid sampling (33.1%) or worked more than 5 days per week on containment tasks (32.0%), in addition to routine duties. Frequent assignments to sampling and extended working days were significantly associated with high emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, depression, anxiety, and stress. For example, those always assigned to sampling had higher risks of emotional exhaustion (RRR = 1.95, 95% CI 1.20-3.15) and depression (RRR = 2.01, 95% CI 1.16-3.48). Negative emotions during work and dissatisfaction with current work arrangements were also strongly associated with poor mental health outcomes.

conclusionsThis study highlights the burnout and mental health burden among frontline health professionals linked to specific emergency work arrangements during COVID-19 containment. Our findings underscore the need for targeted institutional design in future health emergencies. Future preparedness planning should integrate psychological sustainability into emergency protocols, including rotational deployments, support measures, and workload balancing strategies.

Indexed as

Burnout, ProfessionalCOVID-19Health PersonnelPsychological DistressStress, PsychologicalAdultAnxietyChinaCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPandemicsSurveys and QuestionnairesBurnoutCOVID-19 containmentFrontline health professionalsPsychological distressWork experiences

Identifiers

PMID41204252
PMCPMC12595798

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.