Relationship between Secondary Trauma Self-Efficacy, Secondary Trauma and Job Burnout among Doctors Dealing with COVID-19 Patients

Abstract

Background: The global pandemic of coronavirus became a profound threat to the physical and mental health of people worldwide. Healthcare workers especially doctors on the frontline experience critical and traumatic situations on regular basis. Doctors dealing with COVID-19 patients become more vulnerable to secondary traumatic stress and burnout due to persistent exposure to stressful situations. Objective: To examine the relationship between secondary trauma self-efficacy, job burnout and secondary trauma in doctors who are involved in treating people infected with COVID-19. Method: The study was conducted by using cross-sectional research design. The sample consisted of 78 doctors who were working as frontline workers in dealing with COVID-19 patients. Online google form was devised to collect data from the participants by employing convenient sampling technique. The google form comprised of demographic questionnaire and two scales i.e., Secondary Trauma Self-Efficacy scale and Compassion Fatigue scale. Two primary hypotheses were formulated i.e., there would likely be a negative relationship between secondary trauma self-efficacy and compassion fatigue in doctors dealing with coronavirus patients and secondary trauma self-efficacy would likely predict secondary trauma and job burnout in doctors dealing with coronavirus patients. The hypotheses were tested through SPSS software by conducting Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Hierarchical Multiple Regression analysis. Results: The results showed that there was significant negative relationship between Secondary Trauma Self- Efficacy and Compassion Fatigue (r= -0.54, p<0.01). Furthermore, results of hierarchical multiple regression indicated that Secondary Trauma Self-Efficacy explained 19 % statistically significant variability in secondary traumatic stress. While it was found to contribute 17 % statistical variability in job burnout in physicians working with coronavirus patients. Conclusion: Dealing with coronavirus patients can lead to compassion fatigue in frontline doctors. However, a doctor's self-efficacy in dealing with traumatic situations can serve as a crucial factor for protecting against compassion fatigue.