The mental health of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a narrative review

Kock, Johannes H. De; Latham, Helen Ann; Cowden, Richard G.

doi:10.1097/yco.0000000000000805

Cited by 28 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Given the largely unique findings that emerged in Studies 1 and 2, research which is sensitive to workplace context may be important for understanding the implications of suffering for the health and well-being of worker populations employed within different industries. Special attention should be dedicated to healthcare workers, particularly those who engage frequently with people who are suffering (e.g., terminal patients), given that experiences of suffering among workers in the healthcare industry could negatively affect the quality of care that their patients receive 68 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Associations of suffering with facets of health and well-being among working adults: longitudinal evidence from two samples

Cowden

Seidman

Duffee

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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Suffering is an experiential state that every person encounters at one time or another, yet little is known about suffering and its consequences for the health and well-being of nonclinical adult populations. In a pair of longitudinal studies, we used two waves of data from garment factory workers (Study 1 [T1: 2017, T2: 2019]: n = 344) and flight attendants (Study 2 [T1: 2017/2018, T2: 2020]: n = 1402) to examine the prospective associations of suffering with 16 outcomes across different domains of health and well-being: physical health, health behavior, mental health, psychological well-being, character strengths, and social well-being. The primary analysis involved a series of regression analyses in which each T2 outcome was regressed on overall suffering assessed at T1, adjusting for relevant sociodemographic characteristics and the baseline value (or close proxy) of the outcome assessed at T1. In Study 1, associations of overall suffering with worse subsequent health and well-being were limited to a single outcome on each of the domains of physical health and mental health. Overall suffering was more consistently related to worse subsequent health and well-being in Study 2, with associations emerging for all but two outcomes. The pattern of findings for each study was largely similar when aspects of suffering were modeled individually, although associations for some aspects of suffering differed from those that emerged for overall suffering. Our findings suggest that suffering may have important implications for the health and well-being of worker populations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Associations of suffering with facets of health and well-being among working adults: longitudinal evidence from two samples

Cowden

Seidman

Duffee

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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“…This experience echoes the findings of other investigators including De Cock and colleagues. 25 These accounts paint a clear picture. We have seen the strong community spirit of healthcare workers, from those behind the clinical and educational scenes, to those on the 'communities of fate' frontline; the development of innovative self-care and well-being resources to meet COVID pandemic demand; and the willingness of healthcare staff to engage with these resources where available.…”

Section: Commentarymentioning

confidence: 99%

Self care and wellbeing in the face of COVID-19: Multidisciplinary perspectives and interprofessional experiences

Wheater

Montgomery

Clark

et al. 2023

Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh

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The human toll which has resulted from the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic is clearly recognised. No single event in recent times has had such profound effects on health services and their staff wellbeing around the world. Policy making has been led by the requirement for confinement and surveillance to limit spread of the disease, and in clinical settings the impact of the necessity for the use of personal protective measures has caused huge strains on practice clinically and professionally. In this paper we share experiences from the pandemic, explore the social and organisational factors at stake and make some suggestions for both personal wellbeing practice and a systems response to the ongoing staff wellbeing challenges of the pandemic.

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“…Without clear guidance these stressors can lead to further role uncertainty, disruption of services, anxiety and burnout in HCWs, 29 together with quality-of-care concerns. 30…”

Section: Secondary Risk Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Will we ever be the same again? The mental health impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on health care staff and institutions

Kock

Latham

2023

Cytopathology

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As a group, health care workers (HCWs) were vulnerable to poor mental health (MH) prior to the COVID‐19 pandemic. The added burdens of COVID‐19 have put extra stressors on the health system and its most precious resource—its workers. This pandemic has exacerbated already poor MH in HCWs, leading to a workforce that is burnt out and struggling to cope with growing demands. Throughout the COVID‐19 pandemic, risk factors for poor HCW mental health have been identified. The changes in practices brought about by the COVID‐19 pandemic and identified as risk factors for poor MH that were experienced in other areas of health care and medical establishments were also witnessed by HCWs working in cytology. Indeed, all health care staff have been affected by this pandemic, and we now know that MH problems in HCWs are negatively impacting the public health response to the COVID‐19 pandemic and its aftermath as they adversely influence quality of care. The question is then rightfully asked: Will we, as health care staff working in medical establishments, ever be the same again, or has COVID‐19 forever changed our working lives? Fortunately, protective factors and multi‐level interventions associated with adaptive MH outcomes during the COVID‐19 pandemic have also been identified. In this article, we conclude that whilst working life is unlikely to return to pre‐pandemic practices, the health care system now has an opportunity to promote individual and systemic growth by adhering to the principles that protect HCWs' MH and mitigate burnout during these challenging times.

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The mental health of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a narrative review

Cited by 28 publications

References 44 publications

Associations of suffering with facets of health and well-being among working adults: longitudinal evidence from two samples

Associations of suffering with facets of health and well-being among working adults: longitudinal evidence from two samples

Self care and wellbeing in the face of COVID-19: Multidisciplinary perspectives and interprofessional experiences

Will we ever be the same again? The mental health impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on health care staff and institutions

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