Empathy and Occupational Health and Well-Being in Ecuadorian Physicians Working with COVID-19 Patients: A Mixed-Method Study

Matiz-Moya, Estefan and Delgado Bolton, Roberto C. and García-Gómez, Esperanza and Vivanco, Luis UNSPECIFIED, UNSPECIFIED, UNSPECIFIED, luis.vivanco@uneatlantico.es (2023) Empathy and Occupational Health and Well-Being in Ecuadorian Physicians Working with COVID-19 Patients: A Mixed-Method Study. Healthcare, 11 (8). p. 1177. ISSN 2227-9032

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Abstract

Approximately one out of ten COVID-19 cases in Ecuador was a physician. It has been reported that this situation has led to a serious detriment of physicians’ health and well-being. This study aimed to (i) identify predictors of emotional exhaustion, somatization, and work alienation in Ecuadorian physicians working with COVID-19 patients and (ii) explore the pandemic impact on doctor–patient relationships and on empathy. In 79 Ecuadorian physicians (45 women) who worked with COVID-19 patients, two separate multiple regression models explained the following: 73% of the variability of emotional exhaustion was based on somatization, work alienation, working sector, and passing through a symptomatic infection (p < 0.001), and 56% of the variability of somatization was based on gender and emotional exhaustion (p < 0.001), respectively. Furthermore, intention to leave the profession was more frequent among physicians with greater work alienation (p = 0.003). On the contrary, more empathic physicians never considered leaving their profession during the COVID-19 pandemic (p = 0.03). In physicians’ verbatim, cognitive empathy appeared associated to a positive change in doctor–patient relationships. On the contrary, having an overwhelming emotional empathy appeared associated to a negative change in doctor–patient relationships. These findings characterize differences in how physicians cope while working in the frontline of the pandemic.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	somatization; emotional exhaustion; work alienation; empathy; COVID-19; doctor-patient relationship
Subjects:	Subjects > Psychology
Divisions:	Europe University of Atlantic > Research > Scientific Production
Depositing User:	Sr Bibliotecario
Date Deposited:	10 Nov 2025 09:41
Last Modified:	10 Nov 2025 09:41
URI:	http://repositorio.funiber.org/id/eprint/17874

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