The impact of traumatic experiences, coping mechanisms, and workplace benefits on the mental health of U.S. public health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Koné, Ahoua; Horter, Libby; Rose, Charles E.; Rao, Carol Y.; Orquiola, Diana; Thomas, Isabel; Byrkit, Ramona; Bryant-Genevier, Jonathan; Lopes-Cardozo, Barbara

doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2022.07.001

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…Among respondents of the present survey, those whose organizations offered an EAP were less likely than those whose organizations did not offer an EAP to report symptoms of anxiety, underscoring the value of such an offering. 9 A study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic among hospital workers in Shanghai, China, found positive changes in participants’ reported mental health after accessing an EAP, underscoring the potential of these programs. 29 A robust evaluation of an agency’s EAP to assess accessibility, quality of service, and confidentiality can help public health organizations improve the uptake of services offered.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… 8 PHWs who were unable to take time off work were twice as likely as those who took time off work to report symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and suicidal ideation. 8 , 9 Paid time off (PTO) can reduce workers’ risk for developing physical and mental health conditions. 10 - 13 It may help protect against depression 10 and may increase workplace safety; employees with paid leave are less likely than those without paid leave to report to their workplace while experiencing symptomatic respiratory illness.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Understanding Low Utilization of Employee Assistance Programs and Time Off by US Public Health Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

et al. 2023

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Objective: Despite high rates of reported mental health symptoms among public health workers (PHWs) during the COVID-19 pandemic, utilization of employer-offered resources was low. Our objective was to understand what barriers and deterrents exist for PHWs accessing employer-offered resources. Methods: Four national public health organizations disseminated a national online survey of public health department employees during March–April 2021; 26 174 PHWs completed the survey. We examined 5164 write-in survey responses using thematic analysis to identify key reasons why PHWs were not accessing time off and employee assistance programs (EAPs) and to understand what resources PHWs would like to see their employers offer. Results: The top reasons that PHWs reported for not taking time off during the COVID-19 pandemic were financial concerns (24.4%), fear of judgment or retaliation (20.8%), and limitations in the amount of time off offered or available (11.0%). The top reasons that PHWs reported for not using EAPs during the COVID-19 pandemic were difficulty accessing EAPs (53.1%), use of external services (21.5%), and a lack of awareness about EAPs or motivation to initiate their use (11.3%). While desired employer-offered resources varied widely, PHWs most frequently listed financial incentives, paid time off, flexible scheduling, and organizational change. Conclusion: Organizations can best help their employees by organizing the workforce in a way that allows PHWs to take time off, creating a positive and supportive organizational climate, regularly assessing the needs of PHWs, clearly communicating the availability of employer-offered benefits, and emphasizing the acceptability of using those benefits.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

Understanding Low Utilization of Employee Assistance Programs and Time Off by US Public Health Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

et al. 2023

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“…The study suggests that work-related factors such as team relationships might have had an impact in containing the development of psychological symptoms of this professional category during the pandemic emergency. However, to date, few studies investigated the work-related protective and risk factors that influenced the psychological impact of COVID-19 on workers [23][24][25], especially considering the professional category of healthcare workers (e.g., physicians and nurses) [26][27][28][29][30]. Lack of personal protective equipment, heavy workloads, staff shortages, and feeling unsupported and unappreciated at work were risk factors for emergency stress.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Work Engagement in Facing the COVID-19 Pandemic among Mental Healthcare Workers: An Italian Study to Improve Work Sustainability during Emergency Situations

Fietta

Bertoldo²,

Gasperi³

et al. 2023

Sustainability

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers faced an emergency that had significant psychological impacts on them. In this study, an investigation regarding work engagement as a protective factor for well-being was conducted on a sample of Italian healthcare workers in the field of mental health. Correlation and linear regression analyses were run on scores of standardized questionnaires about work engagement, burnout, resilience, stress, and coping strategies. Results indicate that work engagement is positively correlated with resilience, while it is negatively correlated with burnout and stress, particularly caused by personal attacks at work. As concerns the use of functional or dysfunctional coping strategies, negative correlations between work engagement and problem avoidance and emotional distress strategies were found. In conclusion, work engagement was confirmed to be an important protective factor that should be promoted among mental healthcare professionals to help them deal with health emergencies and to improve the psychological sustainability of the work.

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“…This indicates that people's mental health is deteriorating at an alarming rate (Akintunde et al, 2021;Aziz et al, 2020;Marzo et al, 2021;Mohamed et al, 2022;Sugawara et al, 2022). It is not something to be taken lightly because stress, if not appropriately managed, can lead to depression, which, if untreated, can lead to suicide (Kone et al, 2022;Tiesman et al, 2023). According to Ministry of Health (MOH) data, a total of 1,080 attempted suicide cases were reported to have received treatment at MOH hospitals between January and December 2020.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental Health at the Workplace: Rights of Employees

Siti Hafsyah Idris,

Ramesh Nair,

Faizal Kurniawan

2023

Hum. Rights Glob. South.

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In several ways, the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has profoundly altered social and working environments. Social distancing policies, mandatory lockdowns, isolation periods, and the fear of becoming ill, in addition to the suspension of productive activity, loss of income, and fear of the future, all have an impact on citizens' and workers' mental health. Workplace factors can have a significant effect on whether people's mental health improves or deteriorates due to the pandemic. This article discusses Malaysian law's position on mental health and whether employers can be held liable for their employees' mental health. The goal of this article is to examine the legal aspects of workplace mental health issues. We conducted doctrinal research on existing laws and policies focusing on workers' rights issues related to mental health in the workplace during the pandemic. It is discovered that, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and sleep disorders are more likely to affect healthcare workers, particularly those on the frontlines, migrant workers, and workers in contact with the public. Job insecurity, long periods of isolation, and uncertainty about the future exacerbate the psychological condition, particularly among younger people and higher educational backgrounds. Therefore, numerous organisational and job-related interventions can help mitigate this scenario, but the regulatory mechanisms governing this matter must be clearly defined.

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The impact of traumatic experiences, coping mechanisms, and workplace benefits on the mental health of U.S. public health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Cited by 8 publications

References 57 publications

Understanding Low Utilization of Employee Assistance Programs and Time Off by US Public Health Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Understanding Low Utilization of Employee Assistance Programs and Time Off by US Public Health Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Role of Work Engagement in Facing the COVID-19 Pandemic among Mental Healthcare Workers: An Italian Study to Improve Work Sustainability during Emergency Situations

Mental Health at the Workplace: Rights of Employees

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