Stress and Burnout Levels among Emergency Medical Technicians Working during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in Spain

Abstract

Background/Introduction:

Among all health care workers, EMTs have played a notable role during COVID-19; working as a frontline, they faced many challenges, including working overload and an extremely cautious environment that requires a rapid and precise response, which led to experiencing higher severity of mental health symptoms.

Objectives:

To explore the association between stress and burnout among EMTs while working during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method/Description:

A cross-sectional quantitative study with a descriptive design. It was conducted from March-April 2021 on 280 Spanish EMTs, using an online survey of 42 items about workload and working conditions during COVID-19 and other variables specific to COVID-19. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were used to determine the relationships between the variables.

Results/Outcomes:

The study revealed a moderate positive correlation between the perceived level of stress and burnout among the EMTs. Specifically, findings showed a strong positive correlation between stress and EE (0.62) and a moderate positive correlation with DP (0.48). However, it found a moderate negative correlation between the level of stress and the third subdimension of burnout, PA (0.45), where the increase in the stress level correlated with a decrease in PA of the EMTs.

Conclusion:

Burnout might be related to the persistent stress of the EMTs working during the COVID-19 pandemic, considering their work conditions and the socio-demographic variables. The mental health of the first responders is crucial, as it influences their achievement and works satisfaction, and it might affect the quality of the service they provide.

Tables and Figures (optional)

Table 1.

Pearson Correlation: Correlation between the Stress and Burnout among the Emergency Medical Technicians (n = 280)