Perceptions of mHealth applications and features to support psychosocial wellbeing among frontline healthcare workers involved in the COVID-19 pandemic response (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Frontline healthcare workers are experiencing a myriad of physical and psychosocial challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic. There is growing recognition that digital technologies have the potential for improving wellbeing of frontline workers. However, there is limited development of wellness interventions using mHealth technology. More importantly, little research has been conducted on how frontline workers perceive mHealth-based support to promote their wellbeing. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to explore frontline workers’ experience of conventional psychological wellness programs and their perceptions of the usefulness of mHealth apps and features for promoting wellbeing. It also sought to identify factors that influence uptake and retention of a mHealth-based wellness program. METHODS We conducted semi-structured interviews using purposive sampling with frontline workers involved in the COVID-19 response. Various visual materials, collated from existing mHealth app features, were presented to facilitate discussion. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis based on grounded theory was undertaken. Themes were subsequently mapped to key nudge strategies, commonly used for mHealth development, to assess participants’ preferences for particular features and their reasoning. RESULTS A total of 42 frontline workers participated in twelve one-to-one interviews or focus group discussions. Frontline workers generally had limited mental health literacy to identify their own psychological problems and liked the reminders functionality to track their mood over time. A personalised goal-setting feature (tailoring) and in-app resources were generally valued while frequent coaching and messages (framing) were seen as a distraction. The majority desired a built-in chat with a counsellor (guidance) for reasons of accessibility and protection of privacy. Very few participants appreciated a gamification function. Frontline workers commonly reported the need for ongoing social support and desired access to in-app peer support community (social influence). There were concerns regarding potential risks from virtual peer interactions. Intrinsic motivational factors, mHealth app technicality and tangible rewards were identified as critical for uptake and retention. CONCLUSIONS Our study highlights the potential of mHealth with relevant features to safeguard the wellbeing of frontline workers. Future work should focus on developing a non-intrusive and personalised mHealth app with in-app counselling, peer support to improve wellbeing, and tangible and extrinsic rewards to foster continued use.

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Psychosocial Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Frontline Healthcare Workers in Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Journal of Dentistry and Oral Sciences ◽

10.37191/mapsci-2582-3736-2(4)-054 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Quratul-Ain Zafar

Keyword(s):

Data Collection ◽

Emotional Distress ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Psychosocial Impact ◽

Control Group ◽

Study Group ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Frontline Healthcare Workers

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline healthcare workers in Pakistan in terms of psychological factors emotional distress, insomnia, and burnout. Study Design: Observational cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at different hospitals across Pakistan and data collection was carried out from 15th June 2020 till 15th August 2020. Material and Methods: This was a questionnaire-based study aiming to compare the levels of burnout and emotional distress between frontline COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 healthcare workers. Any physician, nurse, and other healthcare workers were recruited from emergency care units and Covid-19 care units (target group), and non-COVID-19 care units (control group). Participation was voluntary and participants had to complete self-reported questionnaires and scales. A mixed-mode data collection was carried out, either in paper or web-based form to ensure maximum participation. Results: The independent t-test showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding depression, stress, and insomnia. The study group showed higher scores for these factors than the control group. Chi-square test of association revealed significant scores of burnout and professional fulfillment in both groups. There was a higher prevalence of burnout in the study group than in the control group. Conclusion: This study concludes that there was a significant psychosocial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in the frontline healthcare workers measured in terms of emotional distress, insomnia, and burnout.

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Implementation of a Mindfulness-Based Crisis Intervention for Frontline Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Outbreak in a Public General Hospital in Madrid, Spain

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2020.562578 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Beatriz Rodriguez-Vega ◽

Ángela Palao ◽

Ainoa Muñoz-Sanjose ◽

Marta Torrijos ◽

Pablo Aguirre ◽

...

Keyword(s):

General Hospital ◽

Crisis Intervention ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Frontline Healthcare Workers

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Stress and Associated Factors among Frontline Healthcare Workers in the COVID-19 Epicenter of Da Nang City, Vietnam

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18147378 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (14) ◽

pp. 7378

Author(s):

Nhan Phuc Thanh Nguyen ◽

Duong Dinh Le ◽

Robert Colebunders ◽

Joseph Nelson Siewe Fodjo ◽

Trung Dinh Tran ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Personal Protective Equipment ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Stress Component ◽

Multivariable Analysis ◽

Working Hours ◽

Health Facilities ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

Laboratory Workers ◽

Frontline Healthcare Workers ◽

Second Wave

Frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) involved in the COVID-19 response have a higher risk of experiencing psychosocial distress amidst the pandemic. Between July and September 2020, a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic appeared in Vietnam with Da Nang city being the epicenter. During the outbreak, HCWs were quarantined within the health facilities in a bid to limit the spread of COVID-19 to their respective communities. Using the stress component of the 21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), we assessed the level of stress among HCWs in Da Nang city. Between 30 August and 15 September 2020, 746 frontline HCWs were recruited to fill in an online structured questionnaire. Overall, 44.6% of participants experienced increased stress and 18.9% severe or extremely severe stress. In multivariable analysis, increased stress was associated with longer working hours (OR = 1.012; 95% CI: 1.004–1.019), working in health facilities providing COVID-19 treatment (OR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.04–2.39), having direct contact with patients or their bio-samples (physicians, nurses and laboratory workers; OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.02–1.99), low confidence in the available personal protective equipment (OR = 0.846; 95% CI: 0.744–0.962) and low knowledge on COVID-19 prevention and treatment (OR = 0.853; 95% CI: 0.739–0.986). In conclusion, many frontline HCWs experienced increased stress during the COVID-19 outbreak in Da Nang city. Reducing working time, providing essential personal protective equipment and enhancing the knowledge on COVID-19 will help to reduce this stress. Moreover, extra support is needed for HCWs who are directly exposed to COVID-19 patients.

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