Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41698732›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2026

Burnout and coping strategies among healthcare professionals in the emergency departments of public and private tertiary hospitals in Karachi.

Beenish Majlis Khan, Waqas Hameed, Ambreen Tharani, Bushra Khan

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–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

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. 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

4 authors.

Beenish Majlis KhanCommunity Health Sciences, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan beenish.khan22@alumni.aku.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0005-3058-8794
Waqas HameedCommunity Health Sciences, The Aga Khan University Medical College Pakistan, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Ambreen TharaniSchool of Nursing & Midwifery, The Aga Khan University Hospital Main Campus Karachi, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Bushra KhanDepartment of Psychology, University of Karachi, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo understand the experiences of burnout and coping strategies among healthcare professionals working in the emergency department of tertiary care public and private hospitals in Karachi.

designA qualitative exploratory design was employed. SETTING AND

participantsOne public-sector and one private-sector tertiary care hospital located in Karachi, Pakistan were selected for this study. Audio-recorded in-depth interviews were conducted with a total of 15 healthcare professionals working in the emergency department, which were later transcribed verbatim and analysed inductively.

resultsThe findings of the study identified two major themes contributing to burnout: individual and organisational themes, along with coping strategies used by healthcare professionals. Individual-level subthemes included emotional distress, arising from ethical dilemmas and constraints within the work environment, and work-life imbalance, where participants experienced difficulty maintaining personal well-being due to professional demands. Organisational-level subthemes included lack of leadership support and recognition, role conflict, inadequate resources, excessive workloads and exposure to workplace violence, all of which contributed significantly to burnout. Healthcare professionals reported both adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies. Adaptive strategies included positive reframing, peer support and relaxation techniques, whereas maladaptive strategies involved venting frustration and, in some cases, substance use to manage prolonged stress.

conclusionThe findings revealed that the experience of burnout is caused by a range of interdependent factors at the individual and organisational levels. Multifaceted interventions are needed to address these issues such as national and emergency department staffing policies, mental health support, resilience training, workload management, flexible scheduling and the promotion of work-life balance.

Indexed as

Adaptation, PsychologicalBurnout, ProfessionalEmergency Service, HospitalHealth PersonnelAdultCoping SkillsEthical DilemmasFemaleHospitals, PrivateHospitals, PublicHumansInterviews as TopicMalePakistanQualitative ResearchRole ConflictBurnoutBurnout, ProfessionalEmergency DepartmentsHealth policyPUBLIC HEALTH

Identifiers

PMID41698732
PMCPMC12911802

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

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.