Funding updates
Published:
Contact tracer burnout
Lead researcher: Dr Aoife De Brún, University College Dublin Centre for Research, Education and Innovation in Health Systems
Surveys of 137 contact tracers in March 2021, and 218 tracers in September 2021 showed that they experienced an increase in burnout-related exhaustion, mental distress and feelings of tension and pressure.
Contact tracers with a background in healthcare were more likely to have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The findings can inform future training and psychological support of contact tracers.
Contact tracer burnout is part of a wider collection of success stories across four themes from this year's annual Health Research in Action.
Download the full Health Research in Action publication (549 kB).