AUTHOR=Vu Thanh-Huyen T. , Hua Miao Jenny , Dubois Cerina , Moskowitz Judith T. , Wallia Amisha , Hirschhorn Lisa R. , Wilkins John T. , Evans Charlesnika T. 

TITLE=Long COVID and its associations with burnout, anxiety, and depression among U. S. healthcare workers in the United States

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1582872

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2025.1582872

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=BackgroundData on Long COVID and its associations with burnout, anxiety and depression among healthcare workers (HCW) in the United States (U. S.) is limited.MethodsThis study utilized cross-sectional data from the final survey conducted in July 2023, which was part of a longitudinal cohort study assessing COVID-19-related burnout and wellbeing among healthcare workers (HCWs) in a large tertiary academic healthcare system in the Chicago area. The survey included questions on self-reported Long COVID status, as well as the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) to measure burnout and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) computer adaptive tests (CAT) to assess anxiety and depression. A total of 1,979 HCWs participated in the survey, yielding a response rate of 56.1%.ResultsThe analysis included 1,678 respondents with complete data, of whom 1,171 (70%) self-reported having had COVID-19. Of these, 90 (7.7%) reported Long COVID, with 53% indicating that their most bothersome symptoms persisted for more than 6 months, while 50% reported no longer experiencing those symptoms at the time of the survey. Multivariable linear regression analyses revealed that Long COVID was significantly associated with higher OLBI scores (β = 2.20, p = 0.004), PROMIS anxiety scores (β = 2.64, p = 0.001) and PROMIS depression scores (β = 1.98, p = 0.011) compared to those who had COVID-19 but not Long COVID. Similar patterns of associations were observed when comparing the Long COVID group to those who never had COVID-19. No significant differences were found between those who never had COVID-19 and those who had COVID-19 without developing Long COVID.ConclusionLong COVID was associated with higher levels of burnout, depression, and anxiety among healthcare workers compared to those who had COVID-19 alone or were never infected, despite its lower prevalence during the endemic phase. These findings underscore the need for continued prevention efforts and targeted support strategies in healthcare settings.