The prevalence of burnout, depression, anxiety and stress in the Lithuanian midwifery workforce and correlation with sociodemographic factors

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the prevalence of burnout, depression, anxiety and stress of Lithuanian midwives.

Design: A descriptive, cross-sectional survey design.

Methods: The Work Health and Emotional Wellbeing of Midwives (WHELM) survey instrument developed within the Australian maternity context was adapted and used in this research. The survey collects country-specific demographic data and incorporates several validated measures including the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21).

Results: Three hundred and thirty-eight completed surveys were received. Results obtained using a CBI subscale showed that 84.9% experienced personal burnout, 70.1% reported work-related burnout and 41.1% had client-related burnout. The results indicate that the midwives reported moderate to extreme levels of depression (16.3%), anxiety (28.4%) and stress (13.9%) symptoms.

Keywords: anxiety; burnout; depression; midwives; stress.