The presence of a little stress would be more beneficial for the health of workers in the medical sector than not having any, according to the first results of a study conducted by a psychiatrist from the Montreal Heart Institute.
Judith Brouillette, head of the Institute’s psychiatry department, and her team relied on strands of hair collected from health care workers to try to determine their burnout since the start of the pandemic.
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Participants who had a slight increase in cortisol, the stress hormone, had the lowest rates of burnout, compared to those who experienced no change in levels or those who had a large change.
“In other words, having a ‘little bit more’ of the stress hormone when faced with a major stressor would be better than ‘not having more’, or ‘having a lot more’, on health. professional”, it was specified in the publication of the first results.
No link was found between the change in the level of the stress hormone and symptoms of post-traumatic stress, anxiety or depression.
A 30% increase in the level of cortisol contained in the hair has, however, been noted in the healthcare workers who have participated in the study since the start of the health crisis.
The objective of this study is to know the possible factors responsible for burnout and to be able to identify ways to better protect the psychological health of healthcare workers.
Other results are expected from the responses of these professionals to a survey conducted a year after the start of the pandemic.