Increased burnout risk in health workers in the covid-19 era

Emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal fulfillment with loss of interest in work characterizes Burnout Syndrome (BS) in workers exposed to stress in the workplace. The COVID-19 pandemic is having a strong negative impact on the psycho-physical health of health workers thus favouring the appearance of BS. In addition, the fear of contagion and the close emotional relationship with seriously ill patients are the most important factors among those already known in the health environment in inducing and exacerbating the psychological effects of BS. Sleep disorders are deeply related with work overload due to prolonged work shifts, especially night ones. Moreover, the excessive workload in a condition of poor ergonomics, due to the use of personal protective equipment (PPEs), further increases the appearance of BS-associated health conditions such as the cardiovascular risk (CVR), metabolic syndrome and altered pain perception of musculoskeletal origin in particular. BS influences the hormone circadian rhythm with immune impact, mainly in reduction of NK cell activity. Psychological and social support for health workers should be carefully planned, otherwise the cost in terms of human resources, due to BS consequences, will be critical for the health system.