Exploring the psychological impact of contact tracing work on staff during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background Contact tracing is a key control measure in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While quantitative research has been conducted on the psychological impact of the pandemic on other frontline healthcare workers, none has explored the impact on contact tracing staff. Methods A longitudinal study was conducted using two repeated measures with contact tracing staff employed in Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic using two-tailed independent samples t tests and exploratory linear mixed models. Results The study sample included 137 contact tracers in March 2021 (T1) and 218 in September 2021 (T3). There was an increase from T1 to T3 in burnout related exhaustion (p < 0·001), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom scores (p < 0·001), mental distress (p < 0·01), perceived stress (p < 0·001) and tension and pressure (p < 0·001). In those aged 18–30, there was an increase in exhaustion related burnout (p < 0·01), PTSD symptoms (p < 0·05), and tension and pressure scores (p < 0·05). Additionally, participants with a background in healthcare showed an increase in PTSD symptom scores by T3 (p < 0·001), reaching mean scores equivalent to those of participants who did not have a background in healthcare. Conclusions Contact tracing staff working during the COVID-19 pandemic experienced an increase in adverse psychological outcomes. These findings highlight a need for further research on psychological supports required by contact tracing staff with differing demographic profiles.

The COVID-19 pandemic related stress and the associated factors among the healthcare workers in Kota Setar District Health Office, Malaysia

“…Nevertheless, some evidence have showed that while mental health symptoms were elevated among general populations in the early months of the pandemic, there is evidence of a normalisation of rates toward the end of 2020 and early 2021 both globally [ 18 ].This may represent a broad adaptation among the general public to the pandemic, and is in line with the expectation that the majority of people do not develop psychopathologies after natural disasters [ 19 ]. However, Individuals with a history of mental health treatment, loneliness, and lower resilience showed sustained or increased levels of mental health symptoms from March 2020 to April 2021, indicating a heterogenous psychological response to the pandemic that warrants further exploration [ 20 ].…”

Trust in embedding co-design for innovation and change: considering the role of senior leaders and managers

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