The Impact of Work Demands and Meaningful Work on the Burnout and Mental Health Strain of Emergency Medicine Clinicians

Emergency medicine clinicians (EMCs) experience high levels of burnout and mental health strain as a function of the work demands they encounter. The present study examined meaningful work as a buffer of the relationship between work demands and measures of burnout and mental health strain, with the prediction that higher levels of meaningful work would protect EMCs from high levels of work demands. This study offers a longitudinal examination of these relationships in a sample of 113 emergency medicine registered nurses, physicians, residents, and advanced practice providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants completed an online survey containing measures of work-related demands, meaningful work, burnout, and mental health strain at Time 1 and then completed the same survey 2 months later at Time 2. Work demands at Time 1 were correlated with burnout and mental health strain at Time 2. Meaningful work at Time 1 correlated negatively with burnout and mental health strain at Time 2. Moderated multiple regression tests revealed that meaningful work at Time 1 moderated the relationship between work demands at Time 1 and burnout at Time 2, such that the relationship between work demands and burnout was not significant for EMCs reporting average or high meaningful work. Moderate to high levels of meaningful work at Time 1 substantially reduced the impact of work demands on EMCs 2 months later. Results suggest that interventions should be explored to enhance meaningful work, thereby reducing the negative effects of work demands on burnout and mental health strain.