ArticleJournal of Korean medical science2026
Assessing the Relationship Between Work-Related Factors and Mental Health in Public Health Doctors During National Health Emergencies.
Article in Journal of Korean medical science, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundSouth Korean public health doctors (PHDs) serve as frontline responders in underserved regions during national health crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the system has not adapted to evolving healthcare needs and despite the essential roles of PHDs, little is known about the unique occupational stressors they face. We examined how work-related factors, especially national guidelines and policies, impact the mental health of PHDs during public health emergency deployments, providing evidence to inform policy and support systems for this workforce.
methodsAn online cross-sectional survey of all PHDs serving between July and August 2021 was used to collect data on demographics, work-related stress, and mental health outcomes using validated questionnaires. Associations between work factors and mental health (depressive symptoms, embitterment, burnout) were analyzed using logistic regression.
resultsAmong 269 PHDs (mean age 29.7 years), 27.1% reported depressive symptoms, 9.3% embitterment, and 45.4% burnout. Dissatisfaction with financial compensation was associated with higher risks of depressive symptoms (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.481), embitterment (aOR, 3.695), and burnout (aOR, 2.997). Deployment of 3-6 months increased embitterment (aOR, 3.770) and burnout (aOR, 2.469). Job demands predicted all outcomes (aOR, 1.033-1.040). National guidelines/policies and concerns related to work and environment were associated with depressive symptoms (aOR, 1.138, 1.056) and burnout (aOR, 1.105, 1.042).
conclusionThis study highlights the need for adequate compensation, manageable deployment duration, and strong organizational support, including clear national guidelines and policies to mitigate mental health risks, among PHDs during public health emergency deployments.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.