Longitudinal associations of depression, anxiety, and stress among healthcare workers assisting patients with end-stage cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic: the moderator role of emotional exhaustion

Background: This study aimed to analyze the moderating role of emotional exhaustion in the relationships between longitudinal associations of depression, anxiety, and stress among healthcare workers assisting end-of-life cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A longitudinal study involving a final sample of 122 healthcare workers (61.5% females, mean age = 39.09 ± 11.04 years) was conducted. These participants completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21). Results: Results of correlation analysis showed that emotional exhaustion was correlated with both T1 and T2 measures of depression, anxiety, and stress. Results of the moderation analysis indicated that emotional exhaustion moderated the relationships between consecutive measures of depression and anxiety. Each of the moderation models explained about half of the variance for depression and anxiety. When considering stress, results did not show a moderating role for emotional exhaustion. Conclusions: Overall, the results of this study highlight that emotional exhaustion moderated depression and anxiety over time. Psychological interventions to promote psychological mental health among healthcare workers assisting patients with end-stage cancer should carefully consider these findings.