Burnout and Psychological Vulnerability in First Responders: Monitoring Depersonalization and Phobic Anxiety during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background: It is common knowledge that first responders are among the helping professionals most at risk of burnout and psychological vulnerability. During the COVID-19 pandemic, their mental health has been subjected to various risk factors. Methods: Data on socio-demographic characteristics, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and psychological vulnerability (SCL-90-R) were obtained from 228 subjects (55.3% female; M age = 45.23, SD = 13.14) grouped on the basis of their actual involvement during the emergency phases (82% First Responders and 18% Second Responders). Results: First responders exceeded the MBI clinical cut-off, while SRs did not (χ² ≥ 0.5); specifically, EE = 89.8%, DP = 85.8%, and PA = 82.1%. The FR group showed a higher mean in the global severity index (GSI = 49.37) than did the SRs (=43.95), and the FR group exceeded the clinical cut-off in the SCL-90-R scales of SOM (51.06), ANX (52.40), and PHOB (53.60), while the SF group did so only for the PHOB scale (50.41). The MBI dimensions correlated significantly (p = 0.05) with all investigated clinical scales of the SCL-90-R. Conclusions: Emergency situations expose first responders to specific risk factors related to work performance and relational aspects, which contribute to increased psychological vulnerability and burnout.

Protective and Vulnerability Factors of Municipal Workers’ Mental Health: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…The results of this study addressing the relationship between job satisfaction and burnout are in line with the findings of a study by Oliveira et al [ 46 ], in which the absence of burnout was identified as a predictor of job satisfaction. As for the relationship between psychological vulnerability and burnout, Benincasa et al [ 47 ] also advocated that lingering chronic psychological vulnerabilities can lead to the exhaustion of personal resources, favouring the onset or prevalence of burnout.…”

First Responders and the COVID-19 Pandemic: How Organizational Strategies Can Promote Workforce Retention

“…Recent research suggests a significant negative impact of the pandemic on employees in healthcare and frontline medical positions (Baskin & Bartlett, 2021). Studies from diverse academic fields such as psychology, sociology, and social work have demonstrated impacts on frontline medical workers’ levels of stress (Goh et al, 2020; Lorente et al, 2020; Luceño-Moreno et al, 2020), burnout (Hu et al, 2020), anxiety (Barzilay et al, 2020; Benincasa et al, 2022; Lapum et al, 2020), and resilience (Jose et al, 2020; Labrague & Santos, 2020; Pink et al, 2021). Notably, there is still much unknown about how the COVID-19 pandemic or public health crises, in general, exacerbate work-related consequences among firefighters, law enforcement, and emergency medical workers comparatively and collectively.…”

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“…Because of the nature of their jobs, first responders not only encountered a disproportionate risk of infection from the coronavirus but also risked infecting their family members and friends. Specific personality traits, a willingness to put oneself in harm's way, and high public service motivation (PSM) are a hallmark of first responders who view their career as a calling instead of a job (Benincasa et al, 2022). For many first responders, the risks and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with organizational stressors, prompted them to consider leaving their calling by not showing up to a shift (i.e., role abandonment), quitting their job (i.e., turnover), or leaving their first response careers altogether.…”

Automated stress detection using mobile application and wearable sensors improves symptoms of mental health disorders in military personnel

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