Hopelessness and burnout in Italian healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic: the mediating role of trait emotional intelligence
ObjectiveThe study aims to assess the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers’ work-related stress during the first wave of the pandemic in Italy. The main objective is to investigate the existence of a positive correlation between hopelessness and burnout, assuming that burnout may be a risk facto...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1146408/full |
| _version_ | 1827953631558631424 |
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| author | Maria Stella Epifanio Sabina La Grutta Marco Andrea Piombo Martina Riolo Vittoria Spicuzza Marianna Franco Giacomo Mancini Leonardo De Pascalis Leonardo De Pascalis Elena Trombini Federica Andrei |
| author_facet | Maria Stella Epifanio Sabina La Grutta Marco Andrea Piombo Martina Riolo Vittoria Spicuzza Marianna Franco Giacomo Mancini Leonardo De Pascalis Leonardo De Pascalis Elena Trombini Federica Andrei |
| author_sort | Maria Stella Epifanio |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ObjectiveThe study aims to assess the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers’ work-related stress during the first wave of the pandemic in Italy. The main objective is to investigate the existence of a positive correlation between hopelessness and burnout, assuming that burnout may be a risk factor for the development of hopelessness, and to analyze the role that trait Emotional Intelligence (TEI) and changes in workload could have in this relationship. Furthermore, evaluate any significant differences in burnout and hopelessness levels in the function of some demographic variables, such as gender, professional profiles, and different working zones of Italy, to better understand how the diverse diffusion of pandemic had affected Italian healthcare workers.MethodsAn online survey was used to collect data between April and June, 2020, with 562 responses among nurses (52.1%) and physicians (47.9%). Demographics and changes in workload and work conditions were collected through an ad hoc questionnaire. The Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQue-SF), The Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), and the Link Burnout Questionnaire (LBQ) were used to assess Trait Emotional Intelligence (TEI), hopelessness, and burnout, respectively.ResultsCorrelation analysis showed a significant positive relationship between hopelessness and each burnout dimension. TEI showed negative correlations both with burnout dimensions and hopelessness. Significant differences in burnout and hopelessness levels emerged as a function of some demographic variables such as gender, professional profiles (nurses or physicians), and different working zone of Italy (northern or southern). Results showed that TEI partially mediated the relationship between hopelessness and every burnout dimension, while the interaction of changes in workload was non-significant.DiscussionThe mediating role of TEI in the burnout-hopelessness relationship partly explains the protective role that individual factors had on healthcare workers’ mental health. Our findings support the need to integrate considerations on both psychological risk and protective factors into COVID-19 care, including the monitoring of psychological symptoms and social needs, especially among healthcare workers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T14:17:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-aadc4c56a2e34323b20869b8b1844da4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T14:17:39Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-aadc4c56a2e34323b20869b8b1844da42023-05-05T06:11:52ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782023-05-011410.3389/fpsyg.2023.11464081146408Hopelessness and burnout in Italian healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic: the mediating role of trait emotional intelligenceMaria Stella Epifanio0Sabina La Grutta1Marco Andrea Piombo2Martina Riolo3Vittoria Spicuzza4Marianna Franco5Giacomo Mancini6Leonardo De Pascalis7Leonardo De Pascalis8Elena Trombini9Federica Andrei10Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari,” Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Education Studies “Giovanni Maria Bertin,” Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari,” Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Bologna, ItalyPsychological Sciences, Institute of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United KingdomDepartment of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari,” Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari,” Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Bologna, ItalyObjectiveThe study aims to assess the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers’ work-related stress during the first wave of the pandemic in Italy. The main objective is to investigate the existence of a positive correlation between hopelessness and burnout, assuming that burnout may be a risk factor for the development of hopelessness, and to analyze the role that trait Emotional Intelligence (TEI) and changes in workload could have in this relationship. Furthermore, evaluate any significant differences in burnout and hopelessness levels in the function of some demographic variables, such as gender, professional profiles, and different working zones of Italy, to better understand how the diverse diffusion of pandemic had affected Italian healthcare workers.MethodsAn online survey was used to collect data between April and June, 2020, with 562 responses among nurses (52.1%) and physicians (47.9%). Demographics and changes in workload and work conditions were collected through an ad hoc questionnaire. The Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQue-SF), The Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), and the Link Burnout Questionnaire (LBQ) were used to assess Trait Emotional Intelligence (TEI), hopelessness, and burnout, respectively.ResultsCorrelation analysis showed a significant positive relationship between hopelessness and each burnout dimension. TEI showed negative correlations both with burnout dimensions and hopelessness. Significant differences in burnout and hopelessness levels emerged as a function of some demographic variables such as gender, professional profiles (nurses or physicians), and different working zone of Italy (northern or southern). Results showed that TEI partially mediated the relationship between hopelessness and every burnout dimension, while the interaction of changes in workload was non-significant.DiscussionThe mediating role of TEI in the burnout-hopelessness relationship partly explains the protective role that individual factors had on healthcare workers’ mental health. Our findings support the need to integrate considerations on both psychological risk and protective factors into COVID-19 care, including the monitoring of psychological symptoms and social needs, especially among healthcare workers.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1146408/fullCOVID-19pandemichealthcare workersburnouthopelessnesstrait emotional intelligence |
| spellingShingle | Maria Stella Epifanio Sabina La Grutta Marco Andrea Piombo Martina Riolo Vittoria Spicuzza Marianna Franco Giacomo Mancini Leonardo De Pascalis Leonardo De Pascalis Elena Trombini Federica Andrei Hopelessness and burnout in Italian healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic: the mediating role of trait emotional intelligence Frontiers in Psychology COVID-19 pandemic healthcare workers burnout hopelessness trait emotional intelligence |
| title | Hopelessness and burnout in Italian healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic: the mediating role of trait emotional intelligence |
| title_full | Hopelessness and burnout in Italian healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic: the mediating role of trait emotional intelligence |
| title_fullStr | Hopelessness and burnout in Italian healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic: the mediating role of trait emotional intelligence |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hopelessness and burnout in Italian healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic: the mediating role of trait emotional intelligence |
| title_short | Hopelessness and burnout in Italian healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic: the mediating role of trait emotional intelligence |
| title_sort | hopelessness and burnout in italian healthcare workers during covid 19 pandemic the mediating role of trait emotional intelligence |
| topic | COVID-19 pandemic healthcare workers burnout hopelessness trait emotional intelligence |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1146408/full |
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