Burnout, Secondary Traumatic Stress and Inflammatory Biomarkers in ICU Healthcare Workers

Relationship Between Burnout, Secondary Traumatic Stress, and Inflammatory Biomarkers in Intensive Care Unit Healthcare Workers

Healthcare professionals working in intensive care units (ICUs) are frequently exposed to high levels of psychological stress due to critically ill patients, frequent encounters with death, complex clinical decision-making, and prolonged working hours. This environment increases the risk of burnout and secondary traumatic stress, which may not only affect mental well-being but also have measurable physiological consequences.

Emerging evidence suggests that chronic psychological stress and burnout may influence immune function through activation of proinflammatory pathways. Elevated levels of inflammatory biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) have been associated with stress-related conditions. However, data examining the relationship between burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and inflammatory biomarkers in intensive care healthcare workers remain limited.

This cross-sectional observational study aims to investigate the association between burnout and secondary traumatic stress levels, assessed using validated psychometric instruments (Maslach Burnout Inventory and Professional Quality of Life Scale), and inflammatory biomarkers (CRP, IL-6, TNF-α, and NLR) in ICU healthcare workers. Blood samples will be obtained in conjunction with routine annual health screening, and additional serum samples will be collected for biomarker analysis. The study seeks to clarify the psychoneuroimmunological mechanisms underlying occupational stress in critical care settings.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age ≥18 years

Active employment in an intensive care unit (anesthesia, internal medicine, or chest diseases ICU)

Participation in routine annual occupational health screening

Willingness to provide additional blood sample for research purposes

Voluntary participation with written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Active infection at the time of assessment

Use of systemic steroids, immunosuppressive agents, or chemotherapy within the last 4 weeks

Known autoimmune or rheumatologic disease

Hematologic malignancy or severe hematologic disorder

Pregnancy

Refusal to provide additional blood sample

Incomplete questionnaire data