Physician Burnout during COVID-19 in the Nordic countries

Abstract

This thesis investigates physician burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Nordic countries of Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Denmark. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, identifying 15 studies in English language meeting the inclusion criteria. One study published in Finnish language were included in the thesis due to the high relevance of Finnish Physician burnout. Burnout prevalence in the Nordic countries was ranged between 0–29%, with higher rates among frontline specialties such as intensive care, general practice, and surgery. The findings highlight workload strain, insufficient managerial support, and gender as key drivers of burnout, while protective factors included strong leadership and robust healthcare infrastructure. The results underscore the importance of targeted organizational interventions, policy-level preparedness, and further longitudinal research to mitigate physician burnout and strengthen healthcare system resilience and achieve positive outcome in patient care.