About this Research Topic
In December 2019, COVID-19 started its trajectory from China to the rest of the globe, creating a destabilization of the world as we knew it. Frontline responders were at high risk of infection but also suffered from the psychological consequences of being overworked and the repetitive exposure to loss in their personal and professional lives. Before the pandemic, many studies have proven that healthcare workers are prone to experience burnout syndrome, this is mostly related to emotional pressure, lack of sleep, working extensive schedules, and repeatedly experiencing traumatic events that are inherent in this professional environment. Certain types of physicians are prone to experience PTSD, and emergency physicians and residents are at the top of the list. Burnout syndrome and PTSD were part of physicians' lives before COVID-19 and many of the risk factors were aggravated during the pandemic, increasing the number of doctors suffering from these mental disorders.
Many healthcare workers experience burnout syndrome or PTSD during their professional lives. However, certain professionals are more prone than others to suffer from these mental disorders. Among healthcare workers, physicians have the highest rate of burnout syndrome and PTSD. These findings are related to medical specialty, years of experience, trauma exposure, and individual factors such as age, sex, and emotional support opportunities. During the pandemic physicians were exposed to many physical and psychological risk factors, increasing the rate of these mental disorders. Recent research has focused on finding prevalence, new risk factors, and relationships between COVID-19 infection and mental illness, but not many have focused on PTSD, burnout syndrome, and public health policies to prevent or treat these disorders among physicians after COVID-19. The main goal of this research topic is to raise certain questions: Which are the most affected medical specialties in relation to the pandemic? What has been done to prevent or treat PTSD and burnout syndrome among physicians? Are there any proposals to address this problem? How much has changed in the prevalence of these disorders after COVID-19? Are physicians still the most affected ones?
The scope of the research topic would be including:
1) Comorbidity between COVID-19, PTSD, and burnout syndrome
2) PTSD, burnout syndrome and COVID-19 relationship with medical specialty/ residency
3) Studies that focus on public health proposals/ programs related to treating or preventing burnout syndrome and PTSD after COVID-19
4) Prevalence of physicians looking for mental health programs after COVID-19
5) Risk factors related to PTSD and burnout syndrome during the pandemic
6) Studies that include structural or functional neurological changes with scans (MRI, EEG, etc)
7) Case studies of physicians that were previously treated from these disorders and their current evolution after the pandemic
Many healthcare workers experience burnout syndrome or PTSD during their professional lives. However, certain professionals are more prone than others to suffer from these mental disorders. Among healthcare workers, physicians have the highest rate of burnout syndrome and PTSD. These findings are related to medical specialty, years of experience, trauma exposure, and individual factors such as age, sex, and emotional support opportunities. During the pandemic physicians were exposed to many physical and psychological risk factors, increasing the rate of these mental disorders. Recent research has focused on finding prevalence, new risk factors, and relationships between COVID-19 infection and mental illness, but not many have focused on PTSD, burnout syndrome, and public health policies to prevent or treat these disorders among physicians after COVID-19. The main goal of this research topic is to raise certain questions: Which are the most affected medical specialties in relation to the pandemic? What has been done to prevent or treat PTSD and burnout syndrome among physicians? Are there any proposals to address this problem? How much has changed in the prevalence of these disorders after COVID-19? Are physicians still the most affected ones?
The scope of the research topic would be including:
1) Comorbidity between COVID-19, PTSD, and burnout syndrome
2) PTSD, burnout syndrome and COVID-19 relationship with medical specialty/ residency
3) Studies that focus on public health proposals/ programs related to treating or preventing burnout syndrome and PTSD after COVID-19
4) Prevalence of physicians looking for mental health programs after COVID-19
5) Risk factors related to PTSD and burnout syndrome during the pandemic
6) Studies that include structural or functional neurological changes with scans (MRI, EEG, etc)
7) Case studies of physicians that were previously treated from these disorders and their current evolution after the pandemic
Keywords: Coronavirus disease, burnout, depression, psychological trauma, medical doctors, pandemic
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
