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Behavioral Sciences
Special Issues
Burnout and Psychological Well-Being of Healthcare Workers
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Burnout and Psychological Well-Being of Healthcare Workers

A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X). This special issue belongs to the section "Social Psychology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 2883

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Lauren A. Fowler

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Wake Forest School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
Interests: fatigue; shift work; circadian desynchronization; burnout; healthcare worker cognition and empathy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on the multifaceted topic of burnout and psychological well-being among healthcare workers, addressing an urgent need to understand and mitigate the mental health challenges faced by this vital workforce. Healthcare professionals, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, have experienced elevated stress, burnout, and emotional fatigue, which impacts both their personal well-being and the quality of patient care. This Special Issue aims to explore the underlying causes, including high workloads, emotional demands, and systemic constraints, while also highlighting resilience strategies, organizational interventions, and policies that support mental health. By fostering a holistic understanding, this Special Issue intends to inspire actionable solutions and promote a sustainable work environment for healthcare providers.

Dr. Lauren A. Fowler
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Behavioral Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • burnout
  • psychological well-being
  • healthcare workers
  • resilience
  • stress management
  • occupational health
  • emotional fatigue
  • healthcare workforce sustainability

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 578 KiB  
Article
Cross-Cultural Differences in Fear of Death, Emotional Intelligence, Coping with Death, and Burnout Among Nursing Students: A Comparative Study Between Spain and Portugal
by Miguel Ángel Martín-Parrilla, Noelia Durán-Gómez, Maria do Céu Marques, Casimiro Fermín López-Jurado, Margarida Goes and Macarena C. Cáceres
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(7), 993; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15070993 - 21 Jul 2025
Viewed by 430
Abstract
Nursing students often face emotional challenges related to death and dying, affecting their psychological well-being, emotional intelligence, and academic success. Cultural and educational factors may influence how they experience and manage these stressors. This study aimed to compare fear of death, emotional intelligence, [...] Read more.
Nursing students often face emotional challenges related to death and dying, affecting their psychological well-being, emotional intelligence, and academic success. Cultural and educational factors may influence how they experience and manage these stressors. This study aimed to compare fear of death, emotional intelligence, coping with death, and academic burnout among second-year nursing students in Spain and Portugal to identify cross-cultural differences. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 174 second-year nursing students from the University of Extremadura (Spain) and the University of Évora (Portugal) during the 2023/2024 academic year. The instruments used included the Collett–Lester Brief Fear of Death Scale, the Trait Meta-Mood Scale—24 ítems, the Bugen’s Coping with Death Scale, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory—Student Survey. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and group comparisons were performed using independent samples t-tests and Welch’s t-tests, depending on variance homogeneity. A two-way ANOVA was also conducted to explore interactions between gender and nationality. The Spanish sample comprised 86 women and 21 men, and the Portuguese sample included 58 women and 9 men. The mean age across the sample was 21.5 years (SD = 4.15). No significant differences were observed in fear of death or emotional intelligence between the two groups. However, Portuguese students showed significantly better coping with death, but also higher academic burnout and cynicism. Spanish students reported greater perceived efficacy. Although emotional intelligence and death anxiety were similar, Portuguese students demonstrated stronger coping skills but experienced more burnout. This suggests that coping alone may not buffer academic stress, emphasizing the need for culturally tailored interventions to enhance emotional readiness and reduce burnout. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Burnout and Psychological Well-Being of Healthcare Workers)
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11 pages, 391 KiB  
Article
Implementing a Novel Resident-Led Peer Support Program for Emergency Medicine Resident Physicians
by Kyra D. Reed, Alexandra E. Serpe, Alexandria P. Weston, Destiny D. Folk, Heather P. Kelker, Aloysius J. Humbert, Katie E. Pettit and Julie L. Welch
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(7), 943; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15070943 - 12 Jul 2025
Viewed by 301
Abstract
Background: Residency training is a formative and rigorous experience, with burnout rates reported at 76%. Formal peer support groups have shown improvement in burnout among healthcare workers with anxiety and depression. Objective: Implement a peer support program for emergency medicine (EM) residents and [...] Read more.
Background: Residency training is a formative and rigorous experience, with burnout rates reported at 76%. Formal peer support groups have shown improvement in burnout among healthcare workers with anxiety and depression. Objective: Implement a peer support program for emergency medicine (EM) residents and characterize utilization of metrics by demographics, burnout rates of participants, and overall session impact. Methods: An IRB-approved, longitudinal, prospective cohort study of 73 EM and EM/Pediatrics residents post-graduate year (PGY) 1–5 from July 2021–June 2022 was performed. Resident peer leaders were trained using a novel curriculum to lead peer support groups. Residents were invited to participate in biweekly sessions, with optional pre- and post-session surveys measuring demographics, burnout, themes discussed, and how they felt after sessions (Patients’ Global Impression of Change scale). Results: There were 134 attendances over 20 sessions, averaging 6 residents per session. Of 73 total residents, 37 (50%) participated at least once. All levels of training were represented, with half being female, 20% underrepresented in medicine, and 14% LGBTQ+. Overall burnout rates were unchanged for first-time attendances (49%, n = 18) vs. recurrent (50%, n = 11). Females had higher burnout at both baseline (60%, n = 15) and recurrent sessions (69%, n = 13). Following sessions, 94% of participants reported feeling immediately better and 100% of leaders felt prepared leading peer support sessions. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that residents utilize peer support, with many returning more than once. Despite stable burnout rates, 94% of participants felt immediately better after the session, suggesting that peer support is a valuable resource for residents actively experiencing burnout. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Burnout and Psychological Well-Being of Healthcare Workers)
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9 pages, 516 KiB  
Article
The COVID-19 Pandemic and Associated Depression Among Emergency Medicine Interns: Results from a National Longitudinal Cohort Study
by Carrie Bissell, Lauren Fowler, Destiny Folk and Cortlyn Brown
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(6), 821; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15060821 - 15 Jun 2025
Viewed by 502
Abstract
To explore the prevalence of depression among emergency medicine (EM) interns before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Intern Health Study is a national longitudinal cohort study examining mental health among interns across various specialties. In this secondary analysis, we focused specifically on [...] Read more.
To explore the prevalence of depression among emergency medicine (EM) interns before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Intern Health Study is a national longitudinal cohort study examining mental health among interns across various specialties. In this secondary analysis, we focused specifically on EM interns from 2008 to 2022. Participants completed a baseline survey before their intern year and quarterly surveys throughout their intern year. Depression severity was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ9), with scores of 10 or higher indicating moderate-to-severe depression. In total, 1956 EM interns from 160 programs completed all PHQ9 surveys. PHQ9 scores at baseline (start of the intern year) were significantly lower prior to the COVID-19 pandemic compared to during it (p < 0.001). PHQ9 scores at month 9 were significantly higher during the COVID-19 pandemic (p < 0.05) compared to pre-COVID-19 pandemic interns at month 9. One-way ANOVA comparing pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19 differences in PHQ9 from baseline to the end of intern year revealed a significant difference, with during COVID-19 differences being significantly less than pre-COVID-19. There was no significant difference in the proportion of interns with PHQ9 scores greater than 10 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant effect on the mental health of EM interns, with higher baseline depression scores observed during the pandemic. However, the smaller change in depression severity over the intern year during the pandemic suggests a complex interplay of factors that warrants further investigation. Our study is the first to examine depression among EM interns during the COVID-19 pandemic using a large, multi-year sample, providing a unique and comprehensive analysis of how the pandemic impacted mental health in this high-risk group. Unlike previous studies with smaller sample sizes, our research offers robust, generalizable insights into the trends and severity of depression in EM interns, highlighting the critical need for ongoing mental health support in medical training. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Burnout and Psychological Well-Being of Healthcare Workers)
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12 pages, 550 KiB  
Article
Psychosocial Predictors of Job Satisfaction in Nursing: Insights from a Spanish Hospital Setting
by Alejandra Trillo, Alberto Ortega-Maldonado, Beatriz Lopez-Pena and Francisco D. Bretones
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(3), 274; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15030274 - 26 Feb 2025
Viewed by 1058
Abstract
Nurses play a key role in healthcare systems, yet their job satisfaction is often challenged by factors such as emotional exhaustion and organisational dynamics. This study examines the relationship between psychological empowerment, affective commitment, and emotional exhaustion as predictors of job satisfaction in [...] Read more.
Nurses play a key role in healthcare systems, yet their job satisfaction is often challenged by factors such as emotional exhaustion and organisational dynamics. This study examines the relationship between psychological empowerment, affective commitment, and emotional exhaustion as predictors of job satisfaction in a sample of 150 Spanish nurses. Data were collected using validated questionnaires measuring these constructs, and mediation analyses were conducted using the PROCESS macro. Results indicated that psychological empowerment positively influenced job satisfaction both directly and indirectly through affective commitment. However, emotional exhaustion did not significantly mediate this relationship, suggesting that contextual factors such as workload may override its effects. This research contributes to the understanding of job satisfaction among healthcare professionals and highlights the importance of empowerment and affective engagement. Practical implications for hospital management include fostering psychological empowerment through organisational strategies that promote autonomy, competence, and meaningful involvement, which could improve nurses’ well-being and organisational performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Burnout and Psychological Well-Being of Healthcare Workers)
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