DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2022.v10i01.003

Pages: 15-24

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant set of challenges for healthcare providers. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to determine the anxiety, depression, stress, and burnout levels of employees and to identify subfactors that directly impact physicians’ well-being. This is a cross-sectional online survey evaluating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on work-life balance, in particular, psychological distress on practising primary care physicians at Primary Healthcare Corporation, Qatar. We designed an online survey using the stress component of DASS-21, GAD-7, PHQ-9, and the Stanford Professional Fulfilment Index (PFI). A total of 150 (21%), of which 58.7% were males and 47% were 25-44 years old, completed the questionnaire. Stress was reported by (26.7%), anxiety (32.7%), depression (45.3%), burnout (38.7%) and low professional fulfilment (80%). Stress and burnout were more prevalent among physicians aged < 44 years. Physicians who were concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on themselves reported higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression (p < .05). Physicians who expressed burnout were more likely to order the wrong medication (p = .046) and those with stress, anxiety, and depression were more likely to cause major medical errors that could have resulted in patient harm (p <.05). The level of satisfaction with salary was associated with stress (p = .047) and depression (p = .005). Telephone consultation dissatisfaction was significantly associated with stress (p = .006), anxiety (p = .028), depression (p = .010) and burnout (p = .038). Gender, marital status, number of dependents, choice of the medical profession willingly or unwillingly, availability of PPE, and the rapidly changing COVID-19 guidelines were not associated with the variables. Stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, and low professional fulfilment were common among PHCC physicians. The PHCC has an excellent support system for primary care physicians. However, further effective co