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

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BACKGROUND: The 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. METHODS: We 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. RESULTS: Among 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. CONCLUSIONS: This 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.

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