Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had a massive impact on health care systems, increasing the risks of psychological distress in health professionals. This study aims at assessing the prevalence of burnout and psychopathological conditions in health professionals working in a health institution in the Northern Italy, and to identify socio-demographic, work-related and psychological predictors of burnout. Methods: Health professionals working in the hospitals of the Istituto Auxologico Italiano were asked to participate to an online anonymous survey investigating socio-demographic data, COVID-19 emergency-related work and psychological factors, state anxiety, psychological distress, post-traumatic symptoms and burnout. Predictors of the three components of burnout were assessed using elastic net regression models. Results: Three hundred and thirty health professionals participated to the online survey. Two hundred and thirty-five health professionals (71.2%) had scores of state anxiety above the clinical cutoff, 88 (26.8%) had clinical levels of depression, 103 (31.3%) of anxiety, 113 (34.3%) of stress, 121 (36.7%) of post-traumatic stress. Regarding burnout, 107 (35.7%) had moderate and 105 (31.9%) severe levels of emotional exhaustion; 46 (14.0%) had moderate and 40 (12.1%) severe levels of depersonalization; 132 (40.1%) had moderate and 113 (34.3%) severe levels of reduced personal accomplishment. Predictors of all the three components of burnout were work hours, psychological comorbidities, fear of infection and perceived support by friends. Predictors of both emotional exhaustion and depersonalization were female gender, being a nurse, working in the hospital, being in contact with COVID-19 patients. Reduced personal accomplishment was also predicted by age. Conclusions: Health professionals had high levels of burnout and psychological symptoms during the COVID-19 emergency. Monitoring and timely treatment of these conditions is needed.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare providers and informal caregivers were at an increased risk of adverse mental health effects. This systematic review provides a summary of the available evidence on the content and efficacy of the psychological support interventions in increasing mental health among healthcare providers and informal caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: PubMed, Google Scholar, PsychINFO, and Scopus databases were systematically searched for relevant articles, and the methodological quality of selected articles was assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. Results: A search of electronic databases identified five reports based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. All psychological support interventions for caregivers were delivered digitally. Despite the large heterogeneity of the selected studies, the findings support the efficacy of mental health interventions in reducing distress and burnout, while promoting self-efficacy and well-being in both healthcare providers and informal caregivers. Conclusion: Since mental health problems are expected to increase during, and as a result of, the COVID-19 pandemic, and digital tools might offer a range of mental health treatments to meet the unique and immediate needs of people, further research is needed to test the cost-effectiveness of digital psychological interventions.

A significant proportion of patients do not experience relief from pain during the early postsurgical period after joint arthroplasty and are at risk for developing chronic pain. The objectives of this study were to identify biopsychosocial factors associated with acute postsurgical pain trajectories and with pain intensity and interference after 1, 3, and 12 months. Two hundred ten patients listed for joint arthroplasty filled a presurgical battery of questionnaires assessing presurgical pain intensity, catastrophizing, emotional distress, state anxiety and depression, self‐efficacy, central sensitization, and executive functions. From the day after surgery, they were asked to fill a 7‐day diary, including questions about postsurgical pain and postsurgical state catastrophizing. Finally, they provided data about pain intensity and interference after 1, 3, and 12 months. Predictors of acute pain trajectories were investigated using multilevel growth curve analysis. Results showed that central sensitization was a predictor of the intercept of pain trajectories and daily postsurgical catastrophizing was a significant covariate of pain intensity in the acute phase. Analyses of follow‐up data showed that central sensitization was a predictor of pain intensity and pain interference at 3 and 12 months, that emotional distress was related with pain intensity and interference at 1 month, and with pain interference at 3 months, and that cognitive flexibility was associated with pain interference at 1 month. Assessment of these factors could enable to identify patients at risk for worse outcomes and to plan targeted treatments to be implemented during the patient’s inward stay.