Occupational burnout, perceived stress and psychological well-being among healthcare workers: a PRISMA-guided systematic review

Abstract

Healthcare workers face elevated occupational demands that place them at risk of burnout, chronic perceived stress, and diminished psychological well-being. Objectives were to systematically identify, screen, and synthesize peer-reviewed literature on the conceptualization, prevalence, antecedents, interrelationships, and mitigation of occupational burnout, perceived stress, and psychological well-being among healthcare workers, following PRISMA 2020 reporting principles. A structured, multi-query search was conducted across academic and biomedical search-engine-indexed sources (covering PubMed/PMC, Scopus-indexed journals, JAMA, BMC, MDPI, Frontiers, and ScienceDirect), supplemented by backward citation searching. Records were screened against pre-specified eligibility criteria (PICOS) by a single reviewer; a PRISMA-style flow diagram documents identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion. Of 96 records identified, 43 met eligibility criteria and were included: 8 foundational theoretical/instrument sources, 15 systematic reviews or meta-analyses, and 20 primary empirical studies spanning nurses, physicians, and allied health professionals across more than a dozen countries, including India. Reported burnout prevalence ranged from approximately 11% to over 80% depending on profession, instrument, and pandemic period. Emotional exhaustion was the burnout dimension most consistently associated with anxiety, depression, and reduced psychological well-being, while personal accomplishment and organizational resources functioned as protective factors. The evidence base confirms substantial, heterogeneous psychological risk among healthcare workers and points to combined individual- and organizational-level intervention as the most defensible path forward. Limitations of the review's search and screening approach are discussed.