HARDINESS AND COPING STRATEGIES OF MEDICAL WORKERS IN COUNTERING EMOTIONAL BURNOUT (DURING THE FOURTH WAVE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN RUSSIA)
Authors: Kislyakov Pavel A. , Shmeleva Elena A. , Karaseva Tatiana V. , Silaeva Olga A. , Prijatkin Danila A. 
Published: March 2023

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the problem of psychological well-being of medical workers is becoming particularly relevant. The appeal of physicians to intrapersonal hardiness resources, the use of optimal coping strategies for long-term work in a pandemic increases the likelihood of a more favorable passage of a stressful period and a decrease in emotional burnout.

Goal. To identify the specifics of emotional burnout of medical workers during the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of the characteristics of the state of hardiness and the use of coping strategies. Adaptation to the Russian language of the methodology “Burnout scale in COVID-19 (COVID-19-BS)” (M. Yıldırım, F. Solmaz).

Materials and methods of research. The study was conducted in November-December 2021. The study sample included 128 medical workers: 37.5% doctors, 47% middle and junior medical personnel, 15.5% medical students who volunteered to work in medical institutions during the pandemic; 23% men, 77% women; aged 21 to 63 years (M=35 years). The study was conducted in the city of Ivanovo (47%), the city of Moscow and the Moscow region (57%). The following techniques were used: “The test of hardiness” (S. Muddy, in the Russian-language adaptation of E.N. Osin, E.I. Rasskazova), “Questionnaire of coping methods” (OSS) (R. Lazarus, S. Folkman, in the Russian-language adaptation of T.L. Kryukova, E.V. Kuftyak, M.S. Zamyshlyaeva), “Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics - 9 items (SAVE-9) for Healthcare workers” (S. Chang with et al.; in the Russian-language adaptation by S.E. Mosolova et al.), “Burnout scale in COVID-19 (COVID-19-BS)” (M. Yildirim, F. Solmaz). The empirical data obtained were interpreted and processed using qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis, including: descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation analysis, linear regression analysis (step selection method), Mann-Whitney U-test.

Results. The study showed that every third medical employee at work during the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia, in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic, experiences stress and anxiety, shows signs of emotional burnout. Two-thirds of medical workers as a whole have demonstrated a sufficient level of hardiness development. Hardiness parameters are negatively associated with anxiety and emotional burnout of physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic. The greatest durability of this effect is provided by such parameters of resilience as “engagement” and “risk taking”. Which indicates that hardiness may be a protective factor for medical professionals. The most implemented coping strategies among physicians are problem solving planning, social support search, self-control, positive reassessment. The choice of non-constructive copings (confrontation, distancing, escape-avoidance) promotes the development of emotional burnout. The study confirmed the reliability and validity of the COVID-19-BS questionnaire for measuring emotional burnout associated with COVID-19.

Conclusion. The data obtained on the peculiarities of the psychological state of medical workers during the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic indicate the need to continue work related to their psychological support and support for their personal and professional development, prevention of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.