Acclimatizing the Fear of COVID-19: Impact on Psychological Distress and Job Burnout

Abstract

Purpose: The world is currently witnessing a pandemic of the contagious disease
termed as COVID-19, which has accentuated globally. Though global attention is
largely focusing on the effects of the coronavirus on physical health, the impact of the
coronavirus on mental health cannot be ignored. This paper analyses the repercussions
of fear of COVID-19 on psychological distress and job burnout. It aims at examining
the mediating role of psychological distress on the relationship between fear of COVID19 and job burnout.
Design/ Methodology/ Approach: The proposed research shall be descriptive. The data
was collected from employees confined to private companies in India and analyzed
using PLS-SEM.
Findings: The results of the study show that the fear of COVID-19 among employees
have positive impact on psychological distress and job burnout. The impact of
Psychological Distress on the relationship of fear of COVID-19 and job burnout was
also found to be significant. The study was conducted under the circumstances of
COVID-19 lockdown using convenience sampling. The analysis was focused only on
self-reports and online surveys that have not been verified by medical documentation
or expert reviews. The generalization of our findings to the general population is
minimal. The use of clinical interviews is recommended to allow a more accurate
evaluation of the issue.The paper identified the mediating factors which alleviate the
effect of COVID-19 on the psychological distress of workers and their participation in
the organization. Not all organizations are prepared for this disease outbreak in terms
of awareness, capital, and skills. Managers and personnel must find ingenious ways to
handle activities while safeguarding their employees. Extensive research work has been
undertaken in the context of psychological distress and job burnout.
Paper Type: Empirical Research Paper