Burnt Out: Rate of Burnout in Neuropsychology Survey Respondents During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Brief Communication

• Published in: Archives of clinical neuropsychology 2023-02, Vol.38 (2), p.258-263
• Main Authors: Marra, David E C, Simons, Mary U, Schwartz, Eben S, Marston, Elizabeth A, Hoelzle, James B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Burnout, Professional - epidemiology; Burnout, Professional - psychology; Child; COVID-19 - epidemiology; Humans; Neuropsychological Tests; Neuropsychology; Pandemics; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 1873-5843; 1873-5843
• DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acac081

Abstract Objective Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, burnout among healthcare workers has significantly increased. This study evaluated rates of burnout in neuropsychologists one year into the COVID-19 pandemic. Method A survey invitation was sent across five neuropsychology-related listservs in April 2021. Burnout was assessed with the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI; Kristensen, T. S., Borritz, M., Villadsen, E., & Christensen, K. B. (2005). The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory: A new tool for the assessment of burnout. Work & Stress, 19 (3), 192–207) and differences in Personal, Work, and Client burnout scores were evaluated across patient population and work setting. Results 57.3% and 51.5% of respondents (N = 130) endorsed moderate-to-high levels of personal and work-related burnout, respectively. In the Personal domain, respondents working with pediatric patients had higher mean scores and a higher proportion of respondents endorsed moderate-to-high levels of burnout. Conclusion More than half of the survey respondents endorsed elevated levels of personal and work-related burnout. This is concerning as burnout is associated with personal challenges and diminished patient care. Potential organizational interventions are discussed.