The “Overwhelm Effect”: a comprehensive analysis of pediatric healthcare workers’ experiences during the COVID-19 syndemic. Beyond burnout

Abstract

The COVID-19 syndemic has had unequal effects on populations worldwide and has deepened pre-existing inequities in health services. This article analyzes the experiences of public health professionals in pediatrics in the southeastern region of Greater Buenos Aires (Argentina), focusing on the tensions that transformed healthcare delivery, changes in the work environment and well-being, and the implications for the region’s future. Data collection was conducted through a retrospective survey in 2022, involving 74 professionals (from nursing, medicine, and administration) who provide care to pediatric populations in public healthcare facilities. The results highlight the deepening of structural barriers to accessing public health services, a lack of institutional support for healthcare workers, lasting impacts on their well-being, and changes in their daily habits and concerns. From this analysis emerges the phenomenon referred to as the “Efecto Agobio” (“Overwhelm Effect”), which differs from burnout in that it is a collective rather than an individual experience. It is characterized by a widespread sense of discouragement with negative consequences for public health management. The conclusions aim to provide evidence on this phenomenon and contribute to the development of more sensitive and sustainable health strategies, grounded in the lessons learned from the syndemic.