Emotional well-being among community mental health professionals during COVID-19: an exploratory study

Abstract

This paper presents a study related to burnout and well-being deriving from professional practice in community mental health services. The sample consisted in 133 workers from the public mental health system of Barcelona (Spain). An ad-hoc questionnaire was used, and data was analyzed from a descriptive approach. The results reveal a high level of emotional distress and exhaustion related to professional practice that prevents from job satisfaction and affects work quality. Furthermore, the pandemic led to an increase in distress related to work in that field. Finally, the limitations of the study and directions for future research are raised.