| Abstract [eng] |
Purpose of the thesis. Professional well-being is essential for the effectiveness of healthcare professionals, and recent research in Lithuania and abroad has shown increased concern about the well-being of healthcare professionals, highlighting that they are more likely to suffer from burnout than other professions, and to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety, and to consider a change of career. Aim of the study. To assess the professional well-being of doctors and nurses, including profession-related quality of life, emotional well-being and depressive symptoms. Study objectives. 1. To find general and psychiatric hospitals that would agree to participate in the study. 2. To assess the profession-related quality of life of doctors and nurses using the Profession-related Quality of Life (ProQOL) questionnaire. 3. To assess emotional well-being using the WHO (5) Well-being Indicator. 4. To assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms among doctors and nurses using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9 ). 5. To compare the results of the scales used between doctors and nurses. 6. To determine the relationship between occupation-related quality of life, depression and emotional well-being. 7. To make recommendations on possible interventions and measures that could improve the occupational well-being and psychosocial well-being of health professionals. Research methods. The survey was carried out between November 2024 and January 2025 in two Lithuanian hospitals - a general hospital (X) and a psychiatric hospital (Y). Participants completed an anonymous online questionnaire. A total of 182 questionnaires were collected and eligible for evaluation. Three scales were used: the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the WHO (5) Well-being Index. The data were processed using the R Commander software package. Results. The average level of compassionate satisfaction among professionals was 66.48%. The level of burnout was medium (49.45%) or low (48.90%). The level of secondary traumatic stress ranged from medium (52.75%) to low (45.05%). A higher proportion of nurses (36.7%) than doctors (8.3%) had a high level of compassion satisfaction in Hospital Y (p=0.01552). In Hospital X, more nurses (63.08%) experienced medium and high levels of burnout compared to doctors (42.89%) (p=0.02689).In Hospital Y, more nurses (70.0%) experienced low levels of burnout compared to doctors (33.33%) (p=0.00725). The level of secondary traumatic stress was similar between doctors and nurses (p>0.05). Mild-severe depressive symptoms were experienced by 30.78% of professionals. PHQ-9 ≥10 score was more common in resident doctors (38.46%) and nurses (32.63%) than in doctors (12.50%) (p=0.01283). Poor well-being (≤50 points) was found in 34.62%. There was a moderate negative association between compassion satisfaction and burnout (r=-0.55, p<0.001), well-being and burnout scores (r=-0.561, p<0.001). Moderate positive association between burnout and secondary traumatic stress (r=0.611, p<0.001), burnout and depressive symptoms (r=-0.65, p<0.001), depressive symptoms and secondary traumatic stress (r=0.56, p<0.001), and self-reported levels of well-being and compassion satisfaction (r=0.53, p<0.001). Conclusions. The professional well-being of healthcare workers is closely tied to their emotional state and work context. The workplace setting and role significantly influence burnout levels. Resident doctors and nurses appear more vulnerable, showing more depressive symptoms. Low compassion satisfaction and secondary traumatic stress may worsen emotional well-being. These findings highlight the need to enhance psychological support and resilience among healthcare professionals. Keywords. Professional well-being; Burnout; Compassion satisfaction; Secondary traumatic stress; Depressive symptoms; ProQOL; PHQ-9; WHO-5; Healthcare professionals. |
