Voices from the frontline: the psychological impact and coping mechanisms used by healthcare staff during COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Pallab Majumder ◽  
Yadava Jeve ◽  
Christian P Sales
Keyword(s):  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Coping Mechanisms ◽  
Community Services ◽  
Psychological Wellbeing ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Healthcare Staff ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Workplace Support ◽  
The Uk

Background/Aims Healthcare workers have been affected by the physical and psychological consequences of working during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explored the effects of the pandemic on the psychological wellbeing of UK healthcare workers, as well as the coping mechanisms used and the workplace support that they found helpful. Methods A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to healthcare workers across various settings, including primary care, community services, hospital settings and specialist or tertiary service settings. A convenience sample was used to select the participants. The responses were collected for 1 month at the height of the first wave of COVID-19 in the UK (10 April 2020–10 May 2020). Results were collated and analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software. Results Responses to the questionnaire showed the negative emotional, behavioural and cognitive impact of the pandemic on staff, with many experiencing issues such as anxiety, anger, disrupted sleep and worries about contracting the virus. A concerning number also reported symptoms of severe psychological distress, including depersonalisation, derealisation, self-harm and suicidal thoughts. Practical coping mechanisms were generally preferred. Older, male staff were significantly less likely to reach out for support than their younger and female counterparts. Respondents also expressed a preference for practical support from their employer, such as more managerial support at work, time off and financial incentives. Conclusions The psychological wellbeing of healthcare staff in the UK urgently needs addressing. The results suggest that practical workplace support strategies, such as increased time off and better communication between staff and management, would be most helpful. Future research should focus on implementing these strategies and targeting at-risk demographic groups.

Integrating Mental Health Services through Reimbursement Reform and Managed Mental Health Care

1997 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 86-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Mechanic
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Systems Of Care ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Community Services ◽  
Integration Of Services ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Uk

People with serious and persistent mental illness require a range of community services typically provided by different specialized agencies. At the clinical level, assertive team case management is the strategy commonly used to achieve integration of services across specialized sectors. The USA also has used various financial and organizational approaches to reduce fragmentation and increase effectiveness, including development of stronger public mental health authorities, use of financial incentives to change professional and institutional behavior, requirements to allocate savings from hospital closures to community systems of care, and introduction of mental health managed care on a broad scale. These approaches have potential but also significant problems and there is often a large gap between theory and implementation. These US developments are discussed with attention to the implications for mental health services in the UK.

scholarly journals ’We weren't checked in on, nobody spoke to us’: an exploratory qualitative analysis of two focus groups on the concerns of ethnic minority NHS staff during COVID-19

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. e053396
Author(s):  
Jehanita Jesuthasan ◽  
Richard A Powell ◽  
Victoria Burmester ◽  
Dasha Nicholls
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Individual Risk ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Healthcare Staff ◽  
Cross Sectional

ObjectiveTo gain exploratory insights into the multifaceted, lived experience impact of COVID-19 on a small sample of ethnic minority healthcare staff to cocreate a module of questions for follow-up online surveys on the well-being of healthcare staff during the pandemic.DesignA cross-sectional design using two online focus groups among ethnic minority healthcare workers who worked in care or supportive roles in a hospital, community health or primary care setting for at least 12 months.ParticipantsThirteen healthcare workers (11 female) aged 26–62 years from diverse ethnic minority backgrounds, 11 working in clinical roles.ResultsFive primary thematic domains emerged: (1) viral vulnerability, centring around perceived individual risk and vulnerability perceptions; (2) risk assessment, comprising pressures to comply, perception of a tick-box exercise and issues with risk and resource stratification; (3) interpersonal relations in the workplace, highlighting deficient consultation of ethnic minority staff, cultural insensitivity, need for support and collegiate judgement; (4) lived experience of racial inequality, consisting of job insecurity and the exacerbation of systemic racism and its emotional burden; (5) community attitudes, including public prejudice and judgement, and patient appreciation.ConclusionsOur novel study has shown ethnic minority National Health Service (NHS) staff have experienced COVID-19 in a complex, multidimensional manner. Future research with a larger sample should further examine the complexity of these experiences and should enumerate the extent to which these varied thematic experiences are shared among ethnic minority NHS workers so that more empathetic and supportive management and related occupational practices can be instituted.

The effectiveness, feasibility and acceptability of a school-based intervention to improve sleep and psychological wellbeing in adolescents.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie McCrory ◽  
Astrid McLellan ◽  
Karolina Kiper ◽  
Clare Munro ◽  
Christopher-James Harvey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Behavioural Therapy ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Psychological Wellbeing ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
School Based ◽  
Cognitive Behavioural ◽  
Physical Health Problems ◽  
Improvement Interventions ◽  
Measure Change

Introduction: Adolescents are vulnerable to experiencing insufficient sleep which can increase the risk of developing insomnia, mental/physical health problems and mood regulation. School-based sleep improvement interventions (SBSII) have been developed utilising Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia techniques and found improvements in sleep knowledge and behaviour. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness, feasibility and acceptability of a school-based sleep improvement intervention (iSLEEP) for improving sleep and psychological wellbeing in adolescents.Methods: A mixed-methods approach was adopted. The participants (115, aged 12-15) were recruited from secondary schools in Scotland. iSLEEP comprised of three lessons, combining formal sleep education and CBT-I, and were delivered over three consecutive weeks. Baseline (1 week before lesson 1) and follow-up (1 week following lesson 3) assessments comprised of self-report questionnaires to measure change in sleep, depression, anxiety and stress. Two weeks following the final lesson, a convenience sample of 19 pupils (14 females) were recruited to participate in focus groups.Results: There were significant improvements in overall sleep and marginal differences between those who were categorised with ‘probable insomnia’ at baseline and likewise for ‘good sleepers’. There were no significant improvements in symptoms of depression, anxiety or stress. Two themes and two sub-themes were generated. Participants reported that iSLEEP was acceptable and improved their sleep.Conclusions: These findings indicate that iSLEEP is an effective, feasible and acceptable SBSII. Future research should aim to utilise a controlled design to further investigate the efficacy of iSLEEP.

scholarly journals The COVID-19 Psychological Wellbeing Study: Understanding the Longitudinal Psychosocial Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the UK; a Methodological Overview Paper

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cherie Armour ◽  
Emily McGlinchey ◽  
Sarah Butter ◽  
Kareena McAloney-Kocaman ◽  
Kerri E. McPherson
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Longitudinal Design ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Psychological Wellbeing ◽  
Baseline Survey ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Uk

Abstract The COVID-19 Psychological Wellbeing Study was designed and implemented as a rapid survey of the psychosocial impacts of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), known as COVID-19 in residents across the United Kingdom. This study utilised a longitudinal design to collect online survey based data. The aim of this paper was to describe (1) the rationale behind the study and the corresponding selection of constructs to be assessed; (2) the study design and methodology; (3) the resultant sociodemographic characteristics of the full sample; (4) how the baseline survey data compares to the UK adult population (using data from the Census) on a variety of sociodemographic variables; (5) the ongoing efforts for weekly and monthly longitudinal assessments of the baseline cohort; and (6) outline future research directions. We believe the study is in a unique position to make a significant contribution to the growing body of literature to help understand the psychological impact of this pandemic and inform future clinical and research directions that the UK will implement in response to COVID-19.

scholarly journals No cases of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare staff in a city under lockdown restrictions: lessons to inform ‘Operation Moonshot’

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher A Martin ◽  
David R Jenkins ◽  
Prashanth Patel ◽  
Charles Goss ◽  
Arthur Price ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Asian ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Asymptomatic Infection ◽  
Nucleic Acid Amplification ◽  
Healthcare Staff ◽  
Demographic Information ◽  
University Hospitals ◽  
Voluntary Testing ◽  
Community Transmission ◽  
The Uk

ABSTRACT Background Leicester was the first city in the UK to have ‘local lockdown’ measures imposed in response to high community rates of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission. As part of this response, a directive was issued by NHS England to offer testing of asymptomatic healthcare workers (HCWs) at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL) for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods Between 20 July and 14 August 2020, we invited all HCWs at UHL to attend for SARS-CoV-2 testing by nucleic acid amplification (NAAT). We combined the result of this assay with demographic information from the electronic staff record. Results A total of 1150 staff (~8% of the workforce) volunteered. The median age was 46 years (IQR 34–55), 972 (84.5%) were female; 234 (20.4%) were of South Asian and 58 (5.0%) of Black ethnicity; 564 (49.0%) were nurses/healthcare assistants. We found no cases of asymptomatic infection. In comparison, average community test positivity rate in Leicester city was 2.6%. Conclusions Within the context of local lockdowns due to high community transmission rates, voluntary testing of asymptomatic staff has low uptake and low yield and thus its premise and cost-effectiveness should be re-considered.

scholarly journals Understanding the longitudinal psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom; a methodological overview of The COVID-19 Psychological Wellbeing Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cherie Armour ◽  
Emily McGlinchey ◽  
Sarah Butter ◽  
Kareena McAloney-Kocaman ◽  
Kerri E. McPherson
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Longitudinal Design ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Psychological Wellbeing ◽  
Baseline Survey ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Uk

The COVID-19 Psychological Wellbeing Study was designed and implemented as a rapid survey of the psychosocial impacts of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), known as COVID-19 in residents across the United Kingdom. This study utilised a longitudinal design to collect online survey based data. The aim of this paper was to, describe (1) the rationale behind the study and the corresponding selection of constructs to be assessed; (2) the study design and methodology; (3) the resultant sociodemographic characteristics of the full sample (4) how the baseline survey data compares to the UK adult population (using data from the Census) on a variety of sociodemographic variables; (5) the ongoing efforts for weekly and monthly longitudinal assessments of the baseline cohort and (6) outline future research directions. We believe the study is in a unique position to make a significant contribution to the growing body of literature to help understand the psychological impact of this pandemic and inform future clinical and research directions that the UK will implement in response to COVID19.

Evaluating Attitudes Toward Workplace Support for Breastfeeding Among Hospital Managers

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 141-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilaiporn Rojjanasrirat ◽  
Debi Page Ferrarello
Keyword(s):  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Breastfeeding Support ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Charge Nurses ◽  
Workplace Support ◽  
Lactation Consultants ◽  
Managerial Roles

Background: Although the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act has become a law, the enforcement provisions of the legislation are limited. Identifying attitudes and beliefs held by managerial roles may uncover barriers to breastfeeding support in the workplace and guide International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) who are designing workplace support programs.Objective: The objectives were (a) to identify factors influencing managers’, service line directors’, and administrators’ attitudes about support for breastfeeding; (b) to develop a BreastfeedingFriendly Workplace Initiative addressing the identified factors; and (c) to assess the effectiveness of the initiatives in changing employers’ attitudes about support for breastfeeding in the workplace.Methods: This descriptive study was conducted from November 2010 to January 2011 in an urban academic medical center. Self-report, pretest, and posttest questionnaires were used in a convenience sample of 49 supervisors, managers, administrators, and charge nurses.Results: Following the implementation of the Breastfeeding-Friendly Workplace program, the overall managers’ perceptions and attitudes toward providing breastfeeding support were positive. Posttest scores revealed that most people in managerial roles rated their intent, subjective norms, personal beliefs, and having control over providing support to breastfeeding working women higher than the baseline mean scores.Conclusions: Findings demonstrated that managers’ perceptions, beliefs, attitudes, and intention to support breastfeeding improved the implementation of the hospital breastfeedingsupport program. Future research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the workplace lactation program on the duration and exclusivity of breastfeeding among employed mothers.

scholarly journals Mental health experiences of healthcare professionals during COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay J. Cook ◽  
Tasneem Hassem ◽  
Sumaya Laher ◽  
Tarique Variava ◽  
Enid Schutte
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Coping Mechanisms ◽  
Short Version ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Positive Coping ◽  
Brief Cope

Orientation: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to fundamental changes in the workplace for many, particularly healthcare workers.Research purpose: This study explored healthcare workers’ (ophthalmologists, nurses and support staff) experiences of anxiety, depression, burnout, resilience and coping strategies during lockdown Levels 2 and 3 in an Ophthalmic consulting practice and hospital in South Africa.Motivation for the study: The increased workplace stress and vulnerability associated with working during the COVID-19 pandemic introduced an unprecedented level of risk for healthcare workers. Factors contributing to psychological distress must be identified and appropriately mitigated, to prevent dire human and economic costs.Research approach/design and method: A survey was sent out at two separate times to a convenience sample of 31 and 15 healthcare workers respectively. The survey consisted of a demographics section, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Burnout Measure short-version, Brief Cope Inventory, Connor Davidson Resilience Inventory and six open-ended questions investigating personal health and support experiences during COVID-19. Descriptive analyses and thematic analysis were used for data analysis.Main findings: The sample of healthcare workers experienced some degree of psychological distress, including anxiety, burnout and a lack of social support on both surveys. However, these symptoms were alleviated by personal factors, including positive coping mechanisms, high resilience and organisational support.Practical/managerial implications: Healthcare facilities should consider in-house structures focusing on building resilience and positive coping mechanisms, whilst ensuring that workplace conditions are optimal for staff members.Contribution/value-add: This study provides some insight into both the risk and protective factors experienced by health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Healthcare Staff Perceptions Following Inoculation with the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine at University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (17) ◽  
pp. 9378
Author(s):  
Tim Robbins ◽  
Ioannis Kyrou ◽  
Cain Clark ◽  
Kavi Sharma ◽  
Steven Laird ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Vaccine Dose ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Healthcare Staff ◽  
University Hospitals ◽  
Staff Perceptions ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The University ◽  
To Receive

Background: COVID-19 vaccination programmes offer hope for a potential end to the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. We present perceptions following from a cohort of healthcare staff at the UK NHS hospital, which first initiated the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 (“Pfizer”) vaccination program. Methods: A paper-based survey regarding perceptions on the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine was distributed to all healthcare workers at the University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust following receipt of the first vaccine dose. Results: 535 healthcare workers completed the survey, with a 40.9% response rate. Staff felt privileged to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Staff reported that they had minimised contact with patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. Reported changes to activity following vaccination both at work and outside work were guarded. Statistically significant differences were noted between information sources used by staff groups and between groups of different ethnic backgrounds to inform decisions to receive vaccination. Conclusions: NHS staff felt privileged to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and felt that their actions would promote uptake in the wider population. Concerns regarding risks and side effects existed, but were minimal. This research can be used to help inform strategies driving wider vaccine uptake amongst healthcare staff and the public.

Using the Change4Life Disney Branded 10-minute Shake Ups During the COVID-19 ‘Lockdown’

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Budzynski-Seymour ◽  
James Steele ◽  
Michelle Jones
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Exertion ◽  
Affective Responses ◽  
Online Resources ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Affective States ◽  
Perceived Effort ◽  
Qualitative Feedback ◽  
Bidirectional Relationship ◽  
The Uk

Physical activity (PA) is considered essential to overall health yet it is consistently reported that children are failing to meet the recommended levels. Due to the bidirectional relationship between affective states and PA, affective responses are a potential predictor to long term engagement. Since late March 2020 the UK government enforced ‘lockdown’ measures to help control the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19); however, this has impacted children’s PA. Using online resources at home to support PA is now common. The primary aim of this research was to investigate the use of the Change4Life 10-minute Shake Ups to support PA by examining the effects of Disney branding upon children’s (n=32) post activity affective responses and perceived exertion. The secondary was to investigate the effect of the lockdown on PA habits. Children had similar positive affective responses and perceived effort to activities; however, branding was considered to be a key contributing factor based upon qualitative feedback from parents. Children’s PA levels dropped slightly since ‘lockdown’ was imposed; though online resources have been utilised to support PA. The use of immersive elements such as characters and narrative in PA sessions, as well as utilising online resources during ‘lockdown’ appear potentially promising for future research.

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