@article{01JGXAJDQWE8G88ZZWQZ39B7Y4,
  abstract     = {{Background The COVID-19 pandemic has caused psychological distress to the population and healthcare workers. 
Physicians’ well-being is essential and contributes significantly to overall health. This study aimed to assess the strain 
on Polish general practitioners from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and to ascertain the potential predictors of 
their distress.
Methods Data was collected using a self-reported online questionnaire from 162 GPs in Poland between December 
2020 and August 2021 as part of the international PRICOV-19 study. General practitioners’ well-being was evaluated 
using the validated Mayo Clinic’s expanded 9-item well-being index (eWBI). Spearman’s correlation was used to 
measure the strength and direction of association between general practitioners’ distress level and continuous 
variables, and for ordinal variables, Gamma correlation was recommended for many tide ranks. We also checked the 
association of the level of distress with continuous variables by categorizing them and applying the Kruskal-Wallis test 
likewise for a comparison of the distress in different practice locations.
Results A vast majority (80%) of respondents were considered at risk of distress during the COVID-19 outbreak, 
with an eWBI score of 2 or more. Higher distress scores were exhibited among general practitioners who reported 
increased responsibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic and perceived need for additional training. The experience 
of collaboration with neighbouring practices and the provision of adequate governmental support emerged as 
significant protective factors against distress. No correlation was observed between Polish general practitioners’ 
distress level and years of professional experience, number of patients in the practice, number of doctors working 
there, the practice’s location, or working with more vulnerable patient populations.
Conclusions Our findings proved that COVID-19 placed an extraordinary emotional burden on Polish general 
practitioners and highlighted the importance of targeted support services and resource allocation to primary 
healthcare in Poland in case of any potential future crisis similar to the COVID-19 pandemic.}},
  articleno    = {{3}},
  author       = {{Nessler, Katarzyna and Studziński, Krzysztof and Van Poel, Esther and Willems, Sara and Wójtowicz, Ewa and Kryj – Radziszewska, Elżbieta and Windak, Adam}},
  issn         = {{2731-4553}},
  journal      = {{BMC PRIMARY CARE}},
  keywords     = {{COVID-19,General Practice,Primary Care,General practitioners,Well-being,Poland}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{8}},
  title        = {{The well-being of Polish general practitioners during the COVID-19 pandemic-cross-sectional questionnaire-based study}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-024-02699-5}},
  volume       = {{26}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}

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