Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly intensified occupational stressors among healthcare professionals, precipitating elevated rates of burnout and psychological distress. This study investigates the relationship between burnout dimensions and psychological strain among doctors across distinct urban and rural healthcare contexts.

Objective: To examine the association between burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment) and psychological strain (depression, anxiety, and stress) among healthcare professionals in Delhi and Solan during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A correlational research design was employed with 106 doctors equally distributed between Delhi (mean age: 34.4 ± 10.6 years) and Solan, Himachal Pradesh (mean age: 26.6 ± 4.3 years). Participants completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) retrospectively to assess pandemic-related occupational strain. Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficients were calculated to examine relationships between burnout dimensions and psychological strain variables.

Results: Statistically significant positive correlations were identified between emotional exhaustion and depression (r = 0.47, p < 0.01 in Delhi; r = 0.37, p < 0.01 in Solan), anxiety (r = 0.45, p < 0.01 in Delhi; r = 0.30, p < 0.05 in Solan), and stress (r = 0.45, p < 0.01 in Delhi; r = 0.43, p < 0.01 in Solan). Depersonalization also demonstrated significant correlations with all three psychological strain indicators across both locations. Personal accomplishment was not significantly correlated with psychological distress in either region, suggesting its distinct role in burnout conceptualization.