Burnout and somatic symptoms among frontline healthcare professionals at the peak of the Italian COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Italy is among the most severely hit nations in terms of hospital patients' overload, and its healthcare workforce is struggling to cope with challenges that could threaten their own wellbeing. In this scenario, understanding the health-related consequences of COVID-19 outbreak on Italian frontline healthcare professionals is urgent. Our study provides a first account of the huge psycho-physical impact of COVID-19 outbreak for healthcare workers in Italy. Italian healthcare professionals reported relevant work-related psychological pressure, emotional burnout and somatic symptoms. This result requires attention as previous studies showed that emotional distress is associated with long-lasting effect on professionals' health, including risk of post-traumatic stress disorder.