BURNOUT AMONG MEDICAL PERSONNEL IN THE POST-PANDEMIC ERA: A SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS OF RISK FACTORS AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INTERVENTIONAL PROGRAMS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31435/ijitss.2(50).2026.5653Keywords:
Occupational Burnout, Healthcare Workers, Post-Pandemic, Organizational Interventions, Psychological DistressAbstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted healthcare systems worldwide, leading to widespread burnout and psychological distress among medical staff. Although the immediate crisis has passed, long-term mental health effects and weaknesses in healthcare institutions continue.
Objectives: This review aims to measure how common burnout is among medical workers after COVID-19. It also examines the main risk factors and evaluates how effective different intervention programs are.
Materials and Methods: The review includes quantitative studies, randomized controlled trials, cross-sectional surveys, and longitudinal cohort studies published from January 2020 to February 2026.
Results: Occupational burnout reached its highest point in 2022, then dropped to 35.4% in 2023, but this is still higher than before the pandemic. Among nurses, burnout rates were especially high at 59.5%, with 36.1% experiencing severe emotional exhaustion. Individual-level interventions helped reduce stress and exhaustion in the short term, but lasting recovery depends on organizational changes like reducing workload, building peer support systems, and improving psychological safety.
Conclusions: Healthcare systems need major changes after pandemic. Solving staffing shortages means focusing on ethical support and always keeping patient care as the top priority.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Mateusz Żyła, Zofia Parol, Aleksandra Ustaszewska, Aleksandra Oszczypała, Aleksandra Potempa, Michał Petkow, Liwia Prorok, Katarzyna Lipska, Monika Szyszkowska, Zuzanna Strojek
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