Emotional Exhaustion of Burnout Among Medical Staff and Its Association With Mindfulness and Social Support: A Single Center Study During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan

Background: Although higher rates of burnout have been reported during the COVID-19 pandemic, the contribution of the modifiable factors is lesser-known. We investigated how the risk of emotional exhaustion was associated with mindfulness skills and social support in a single medical center in Japan.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional web survey on mental health for all staff of a national medical hospital from February to March 2021. We examined the association between self-rated emotional exhaustion and levels of mindfulness and social support using multivariate logistic regression.

Results: Of the 830 participants, signs of emotional exhaustion were observed in 261 (31%) individuals. Among those highly exposed to the virus at work, individuals with low levels of mindfulness and social support had significantly higher odds of emotional exhaustion [OR 3.46 (95% CI; 1.48-8.09), OR; 3.08 (95% CI; 1.33-7.13), respectively] compared to those with high levels. However, among those not highly exposed to the virus, individuals with both low and moderate levels of mindfulness had significantly higher odds of emotional exhaustion. [OR 3.33 (95% CI; 2.22-5.00), OR; 2.61 (95% CI; 1.73-3.94), respectively].

Conclusion: We found that factors associated with emotional exhaustion differed by exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Building mindfulness skills can help reduce the high burden placed on the staff. Additionally, increasing social support may be useful especially for workers highly exposed to SARS-CoV-2.