Current Research in Medical Sciences

en Burnout among Primary Health Care Workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in Gorgan, Iran پرستاری پرستاری پژوهشی اصیل Original Article Background:  Burnout is an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. During the COVID-19 pandemic, primary health care (PHC) workers faced sustained service pressures and expanded responsibilities. However, city-level evidence on burnout among Iran’s PHC workforce remains limited. This study aimed to assess burnout among PHC workers in Gorgan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted in June 2022, included 400 PHC workers in Gorgan. Burnout was assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22. Group comparisons were performed using independent-samples t-tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), with effect sizes reported as Cohen’s d and partial η². As an exploratory descriptive analysis, mean item scores for each subscale were compared with the neutral midpoint (3 on a 0–6 scale) using one-sample t-tests. All tests were two-tailed, with α=0.05. Results: The mean (±SD) item scores were 4.60±1.13 for emotional exhaustion (EE), 5.45±0.74 for depersonalization (DP), and 3.99±0.95 for personal accomplishment (PA). Mean EE and DP scores were significantly higher than the neutral midpoint (both p<0.001). Overall burnout scores were higher among married participants than among unmarried participants (p=0.002; Cohen’s d=0.40). No statistically significant differences were observed according to age, employment status, years of service, or field of study. Conclusion:  PHC workers in Gorgan reported high mean scores for emotional exhaustion and depersonalization during the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizational measures addressing workload and work–family demands may help reduce burnout among PHC workers. These findings should be interpreted cautiously because of the cross-sectional design and the single-city convenience sample. Burnout, Primary Health Care, Health Personnel, COVID-19 11 19 http://crms.mubabol.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-258-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Morteza Mansourian mansourian55@gmail.com 10031947532846003010 10031947532846003010 Yes Health Promotion Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran mahasti emami hamzehkolaee mahastiemami1@gmail.com 10031947532846003011 10031947532846003011 No Clinical Research Development Unit, Shahid Yahyanejad Hospital, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran Elnaz Ashrafi elnaz.ashrafior@gmail.com 10031947532846003012 10031947532846003012 No Department of Health Education and Promotion, School of Health, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran Mohammad Hasan Riahi mohamadhasanriahi247@gmail.com 10031947532846003013 10031947532846003013 No Health Promotion Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Shahrbanoo Ghahari healthmiddleage.guilan@yahoo.com 10031947532846003014 10031947532846003014 No Department of Mental Health, IUMS, Tehran, Iran Abdurrahman Charkazi rcharkazi@yahoo.com 10031947532846003015 10031947532846003015 No Health Education and Health Promotion, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran Roghaye Farhadi Hassankiadeh r.farhadikia@gmail.com 10031947532846003016 10031947532846003016 No Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Trauma Institute, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran