Risk factors for burnout and depression in healthcare workers: The national AMADEUS study protocol

Abstract

Context: Burnout is an international phenomenon defined as a state of professional exhaustion. It can lead to depression and have major economic and organizational impacts. Previous studies of healthcare professionals in France have focused on physicians, but none to date have explored other healthcare professions.

Objectives: The main objective of our study is to determine the prevalence of burnout among healthcare workers. The secondary objectives are to explore the associations of burnout with professional and psycho-social factors and the risk of depression, professional harassment, sexual harassment, sexual-orientation based discrimination, consumption of antidepressants, anxiolytics and also the lifestyle of the individual: smoking, alcohol consumption, coffee consumption, physical activity and sleep quality.

Materials and methods: The survey will take the form of a voluntary and anonymous online questionnaire carried out on the FramaForm1® platform and will be disseminated via social networks, professional networks and mailings.

Study population: Senior doctors, interns, directors of care, nurses, head nurses and senior head nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists, dieticians, radiology technicians, laboratory technicians, psychologists, nurses' aides, auxiliary nurses and midwives will be included.

Collected data: Burnout will be measured with the Maslach Inventory burnout (MBI) questionnaire, work environment with the Karasek questionnaire and anxiety, depression risk with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies- Depression (CES-D), physical activity with the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) and sleep quality with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).

Ethics: This protocol has been accepted by the ethical committee (IRB n°C08/21.01.06.93911, CNIL).

Expected results: Based on international studies, we expect a high rate of burnout with disparities according to profession, socio-demographic data, seniority and type of service. We also expect a significant rate of untreated depression. This study will provide evidence for policy makers to implement collective strategies to reduce burnout and depression in the different populations studied.

Keywords: Burnout; Depression; Dépression; Infirmier; Médecin; Nurse; Physician; Psychiatrie; Psychiatry; Public health; Santé publique.