Mental Health Status and Burnout during COVID-19 Pandemic among Registered Nurses in a General Hospital, Chonburi Province

Abstract

This cross-sectional research aimed to assess the level of mental health status, burnout, and their relationship among registered nurses in a general hospital, Chonburi province during the COVID-19 pandemic. The online questionnaires; including personal information, Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21)- Thai version, and Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS)-Thai version, were conducted among registered nurses from February to March 2022. All data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient was applied to calculate a relationship between mental health status and burnout. The statistical significant is determined at p < .05.

The results showed that the mean age of participants was 36.89 years, and the majority were female (89.10 %). Most participants reported at least mild degree of depression, anxiety, and stress (51.65 %, 41.76%, and 57.14 %, respectively). More than half of respondents reported high level of emotional exhaustion and cynicism dimensions of burnout (50.56 %, and 58.24 %, respectively). Professional efficacy dimension was still high in most of respondents (71.42%). The results revealed negative correlation between professional efficacy and three mental health aspects; depression, stress, and anxiety (r = -.529, p = <.001, r = -.560, p = <.001 and r = -.331, p= .003, respectively). The study also revealed positive correlation between stress and emotional exhaustion (r = .190, p= .027). The study results indicated that most of registered nurses were dealing with mental health problems especially during COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, effective mental health interventions for registered nurses should be considered in occupational health care system.