What support do frontline workers want? A qualitative study of health and social care workers’ experiences and views of psychosocial support during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a significant burden on the mental health and wellbeing of frontline health and social care workers. The need to support frontline staff has been recognised. However, there is to date little research specifically on how best to support the mental health needs of frontline workers, and none on their own experiences and views about what might be most helpful. Aims We set out to redress this research gap by qualitatively exploring UK frontline health and social care workers’ own experiences and views of psychosocial support during the pandemic. Method Frontline health and social care workers were recruited purposively through social media and by snowball sampling via healthcare colleagues. Workers who volunteered to take part in the study were interviewed remotely following a semi-structured interview guide. Transcripts of the interviews were analysed by the research team following the principles of Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Results We conducted 25 interviews with frontline workers from a variety of professional groups working in health and social care settings across the UK. Themes derived from our analysis showed that workers’ experiences and views about psychosocial support were complex. Peer support was many workers’ first line of support but could also be experienced as a burden. Workers were ambivalent about support shown by organisations, media and the public. Whilst workers valued psychological support services, there were many disparities in provision and barriers to access. Conclusions The results of this study show that frontline health and social care workers are likely to need a flexible system of support including peer, organisational and professional support. More research is needed to fully unpack the structural, systemic and individual barriers to accessing psychosocial support. Greater collaboration, consultation and co-production of support services and their evaluation is warranted.

Resilience coaching for healthcare workers: Experiences of receiving collegial support during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Where this paper adds to ongoing discussions is in highlighting voices of participants who experienced the intervention. This paper sits within a growing body of qualitative literature on working during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 12 , 13 , 15 ] that emphasizes the lived experiences of HCWs in their own words. A theme from our research is some HCWs find it difficult to communicate realities of their lives, creating barriers to accessing support, and potentially development of successful interventions [ 36 ].…”

“…HCW distress may persist for years after the acute phase of an infectious outbreak [ 6 ]. Providing consistent psychosocial support, delivering clear information to staff, conducting regular reviews of work conditions and care commitments, and emphasizing the altruism of health care are recommended strategies to support wellness [ 7 , [11] , [12] , [13] ]. Support should be responsive to individuals and local environments, and ideally, mental health professionals should be involved in program design and delivery [ [13] , [14] , [15] ].…”

“…Providing consistent psychosocial support, delivering clear information to staff, conducting regular reviews of work conditions and care commitments, and emphasizing the altruism of health care are recommended strategies to support wellness [ 7 , [11] , [12] , [13] ]. Support should be responsive to individuals and local environments, and ideally, mental health professionals should be involved in program design and delivery [ [13] , [14] , [15] ]. Using mental health professionals to provide psychoeducation ensures concepts are correctly conveyed, and their therapeutic training provides them with skills help frontline HCWs manage stressors.…”

“…Exploring these differences can help to focus support. For example, stress impacts from working during the COVID-19 pandemic may be greater in HCWs who self-identify as women, those who have elders or children to care for, or those who work with acutely ill COVID-19 patients [ [11] , [12] , [13] ]. HCWs with more work experience, and those who received training and support in managing stress (including attending to basic self-care) may show greater resilience [ [16] , [17] , [18] ].…”

Decreasing Wellbeing and Increasing Use of Negative Coping Strategies: The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the UK Health and Social Care Workforce

“…The pandemic changed how care was delivered, with staff often working under greater pressure, straining their current coping strategies as job demands and stress increase [12,16,23,24]. Isolation, social restrictions, changes in care and operational pathways, communication problems between employees, employers and providers, longer waiting lists, and new working practices have been further exacerbated by the stress of the pandemic [12,[25][26][27]. Changes in working conditions and lifestyles have led to burnout amongst some, with higher job demands, fewer available resources and staff turnover/shortages affecting mental wellbeing and quality of working life [16,17,24,25,[28][29][30][31].…”