BURNOUT SYNDROME AMONG ONCOLOGISTS AND ONCOLOGY RESIDENTS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Introduction: Burnout Syndrome is characterized mainly by physical and emotional exhaustion as a result of prolonged exposure to stress, which can affect the quality of life of health professionals. Studies before the COVID-19 pandemic had already shown a high prevalence of Burnout Syndrome among oncologists and oncology residents. The pandemic came to add a new challenge to this already stressful routine, with the potential for some consequences on work, home life and patient care. Objectives: We aimed to assess the prevalence of Burnout Syndrome among oncologists and oncology residents in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic. As secondary objectives, we aimed to describe mechanisms used by Brazilian oncologists and oncology residents to take care of their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Quantitative and descriptive study. An e-mail invitation was sent to all oncologists and oncology residents associated to the Brazilian Society of Clinical Oncology, with a sociodemographic questionnaire and an adapted questionnaire inspired by the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The SurveyMonkey platform was used. Results: 247 professionals accessed the questionnaires, but only 208 (84%) answered all questions. With regards to the participants of the study, 125 physicians (60%) were female and 134 (64%) were married. In the context of race, 159 participants (76%) were white and 166 (80%) denied comorbidities. Concerning Maslach Burnout Inventory, all physicians (100%) showed signs of Burnout Syndrome. Forty-two (20%) presented a possibility to develop Burnout, 65 (31%) presented with an initial phase of the syndrome, in 97 (47%) the syndrome was starting to settle, and 04 (2%) were in a significant stage of Burnout. Regarding the mechanisms used by oncologists and oncology residents to take care of their mental health during the pandemic, the most frequent was physical activity (56%), followed by therapy (24%), meditation (18%), artistical activities (11%) and yoga (9%). Twenty-nine physicians (14%) reported other mechanisms and 50 (24%) denied performing any activity. Conclusions: Oncologists and oncology residents proved to be in a vulnerable situation, with a high risk of Burnout found among this group. This highlights the need of urgent measures to improve resilience and the quality of life of these professionals.