The prevalence of burnout, depression, anxiety and stress in the Lithuanian midwifery workforce and correlation with sociodemographic factors

Abstract

Abstract Aim To investigate the prevalence of burnout, depression, anxiety and stress of Lithuanian midwives. Design A descriptive, cross‐sectional survey design. Methods The Work Health and Emotional Wellbeing of Midwives (WHELM) survey instrument developed within the Australian maternity context was adapted and used in this research. The survey collects country‐specific demographic data and incorporates several validated measures including the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS‐21). Results Three hundred and thirty‐eight completed surveys were received. Results obtained using a CBI subscale showed that 84.9% experienced personal burnout, 70.1% reported work‐related burnout and 41.1% had client‐related burnout. The results indicate that the midwives reported moderate to extreme levels of depression (16.3%), anxiety (28.4%) and stress (13.9%) symptoms.

Keywords

• anxiety
• burnout
• depression
• midwives
• stress