scholarly journals Factors Associated with the Mental Health of Health Care Workers Exposed to Pandemic-COVID-19

Author(s):  
Kalyani Yede ◽  
Shiney Chib ◽  
Ragini Patil ◽  
Neha Bhatt

Background: Pandemic, COVID is spreading like a wild fire and it has already become a global issue.  People all over the world are going through mental trauma due to the current situation of the globe. The most vulnerable situation is of the front line volunteers like doctors, health care workers, social workers who are coming in direct contact with the COVID patients and working in highly risky work environment. Since its inception in December 2019, Novel Corona Virus Disease started spreading rapidly both locally and internationally and looking to the adversity of the disease, World Health Organization (WHO) declared it has pandemic. The aim of this paper is to explore the determinants associated with the Mental Health of Health Care Workers (HCW) during the pandemic Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).  Questionnaire was developed having both demographic questions and questions related to mental health. Data was collected from 433 HCWs who were the front-line workers, involved directly in handling these patients. Questionnaire was classified into two parts; one included the demographic questions and the second part included questions related mental health and occupational stress.  These HCW were the front line works and were more vulnerable and were having the high risk of getting affected.  Percentage analysis was used to analyse the demographic data.  Exploratory factor analysis was used to explore the dimensions related to mental health and occupational strength.  Multi regression model was used to check the impact of emerged factors like increased workload, the continuous contact with COVID-19 patients and emotional aspects to mental health and occupational stress. Results: Value of R2 obtained was 0.778, which means, the derived factors namely Work pressure, optimism ,Risk factor, Emotional Exhaustion , Self control, Discomfort were able to explain 77.8 % of the dependent variable ‘Mental Health’. All the above factors influence Respondent’s Mental Health, as the significant the factors namely work pressure; risk factor and emotional exhaustion are directly proportional to Mental health.  Work pressure is the most influencing factor among it.  Optimism, self-control and discomfort are inversely proportional to Mental Health of HCW. Conclusion: Most important emerged from this study was ‘Work Pressure’.  Due to the fast spread of this deadly virus, a war like situation has emerged and Health Care Workers are the most vulnerable people as they are serving the patients directly.  They are sacrificing their own physical and mental health and are serving the mankind.  These people deserves lots of appreciation and salutations.

Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (12) ◽  
pp. 1381
Author(s):  
Laura Valaine ◽  
Gunta Ancāne ◽  
Artūrs Utināns ◽  
Ģirts Briģis

Background and Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the health care system. Front-line health care workers (HCWs) are at a higher risk of mental health adverse outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of the symptoms of depression and anxiety and associated demographic and occupational factors among front-line HCWs in Latvia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative study was performed in a population of HCWs during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Latvia. The participants were interviewed between 28 April 2020 and 2 June 2020. Answers from 864 HCWs were obtained. The participants reported their demographics, work-related information, contacts with COVID-19-positive patients and completed two standardised questionnaires that assessed the symptoms of anxiety (GAD-7) and depression (PHQ-9). The gathered data were analysed by a chi-squared test and binary logistic regression. The data analysis was performed using SPSS v25. Results: A total of 209 (24.8%) participants had depression symptoms and 145 (17.2%) had anxiety symptoms. Health care workers older than 50 had a lower risk of both depression (OR 0.422 (95% CI, 0.262–0.680)) and anxiety (OR 0.468 (95% CI, 0.270–0.813)). General practitioners had more frequent symptoms of depression and anxiety than participants who worked at hospitals (32.8% (n = 63) versus 19.4% (n = 73) and 27.1% (n = 52) versus 10.3% (n = 39), respectively (p = 0.037; p < 0.000)). Working more than 48 h during the week was associated with a higher risk of depression (OR 2.222 (95% CI, 1.315–3.753)) and anxiety (OR 2.416 (95% CI, 1.272–4.586)). Conclusions: The vulnerability of the health care system before the COVID-19 pandemic led to significant mental health adverse outcomes of HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic in Latvia. A further cohort study is needed to evaluate the dynamics of mental health and other predisposing factors of HCWs.


2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 464-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaohui Wang ◽  
Haibo Wang

Purpose The purpose of the present research is to investigate the mechanisms by which conflict with customers (i.e. customer mistreatment) contributes to employees’ work withdrawal. Design/methodology/approach This paper tests its hypotheses by means of a field study of a sample of front-line health care workers in China. Data were collected in three waves over four months; a total of 398 health care workers completed the questionnaires and represented the final sample. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings The results indicate that mistreatment by customers contributes to employees’ work withdrawal, and emotional exhaustion serves as a mediator in this linkage. In addition, social support moderates the positive relation between customer mistreatment and employees’ emotional exhaustion, whereas conscientiousness moderates the positive relation between emotional exhaustion and withdrawal behavior. Research limitations/implications The sample used may not fully justify the generalizability of the research results. Without distinguishing different sources of social support may be another limitation. In addition, this study could be improved by using a multi-source survey design. Practical implications To help employees effectively cope with interpersonal conflict with customers, organizations should take action to promote communication between employees and their supervisors and coworkers. It is also advisable for organizations to adjust their selection strategies and hire front-line employees high in conscientiousness. Originality/value This research presents a resource-based framework to illuminate the detrimental effects of prolonged exposure to customer mistreatment on health care workers’ withdrawal behavior in Chinese context. Furthermore, this study examines factors that may serve to mitigate the harmful effects of customer mistreatment and regards workplace social support and conscientiousness as two different kinds of resources that can play dissimilar roles when employees are coping with customer mistreatment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maha Al Ammari ◽  
Khizra Sultana ◽  
Abin Thomas ◽  
Lolowa Al Swaidan ◽  
Nouf Al Harthi

Objectives: The study aimed to assess the mental health outcomes and associated factors among health care workers during COVID 19 in Saudi Arabia.Design, Setting, and Participants: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of health care workers from tertiary care and ministry of health Centers across the Central, Eastern, and Western regions of Saudi Arabia. There were 1,130 participants in the survey, and we collected demographic and mental health measurements from the participants.Primary Outcomes and Measures: The magnitude of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and insomnia was measured using the original version of 9-item patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9), the 7-item generalized anxiety disorder scale (GAD-7), and 7-item insomnia severity index (ISI). We use the multiple logistic regression analysis to identify the associated risk factors of individual outcomes.Results: The scores on the PHQ-9 showed that the largest proportion of health care workers (76.93%) experienced only normal to mild depression (50.83 and 26.1%, respectively). The scores on the GAD-7 showed that the largest proportion of health care workers (78.88%) experienced minimal to mild anxiety (50.41 and 28.47%, respectively). The scores on the ISI showed that the largest proportion of health care workers (85.83%) experienced absence to subthreshold insomnia (57.08 and 28.75%, respectively). The risk factors for depression in health care workers were Saudi, living with family, working from an isolated room at home and frontline worker. For anxiety, being female was risk factor and for insomnia, being frontline worker was risk factor.Conclusion: It was observed that the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and insomnia were reported in a lower proportion of health care workers in our study. The participants who were female, frontline workers, Saudi, living with family, and working from home in isolated rooms were predisposed to developing psychological disorders.


Author(s):  
Kris Vanhaecht ◽  
Deborah Seys ◽  
Luk Bruyneel ◽  
Bianca Cox ◽  
Gorik Kaesemans ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may aggravate workplace conditions that impact health-care workers’ mental health. However, it can also place other stresses on workers outside of their work. This study determines the effect of COVID-19 on symptoms of negative and positive mental health and the workforce’s experience with various sources of support. Effect modification by demographic variables was also studied. Methods A cross-sectional survey study, conducted between 2 April and 4 May 2020 (two waves), led to a convenience sample of 4509 health-care workers in Flanders (Belgium), including paramedics (40.6%), nurses (33.4%), doctors (13.4%) and management staff (12.2%). About three in four were employed in university and acute hospitals (29.6%), primary care practices (25.7%), residential care centers (21.3%) or care sites for disabled and mental health care. In each of the two waves, participants were asked how frequently (on a scale of 0–10) they experienced positive and negative mental health symptoms during normal circumstances and during last week, referred to as before and during COVID-19, respectively. These symptoms were stress, hypervigilance, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, unable to relax, fear, irregular lifestyle, flashback, difficulty concentrating, feeling unhappy and dejected, failing to recognize their own emotional response, doubting knowledge and skills and feeling uncomfortable within the team. Associations between COVID-19 and mental health symptoms were estimated by cumulative logit models and reported as odds ratios. The needed support was our secondary outcome and was reported as the degree to which health-care workers relied on sources of support and how they experienced them. Results All symptoms were significantly more pronounced during versus before COVID-19. For hypervigilance, there was a 12-fold odds (odds ratio 12.24, 95% confidence interval 11.11–13.49) during versus before COVID-19. Positive professional symptoms such as the feeling that one can make a difference were less frequently experienced. The association between COVID-19 and mental health was generally strongest for the age group 30–49 years, females, nurses and residential care centers. Health-care workers reported to rely on support from relatives and peers. A considerable proportion, respectively, 18 and 27%, reported the need for professional guidance from psychologists and more support from their leadership. Conclusions The toll of the crisis has been heavy on health-care workers. Those who carry leadership positions at an organizational or system level should take this opportunity to develop targeted strategies to mitigate key stressors of health-care workers’ mental well-being.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. e0233831 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tianya Hou ◽  
Taiquan Zhang ◽  
Wenpeng Cai ◽  
Xiangrui Song ◽  
Aibin Chen ◽  
...  

1996 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joop T. V. M. De Jong

SynopsisFrom 1983–1994 a community mental health programme was set up in Guinea-Bissau. The first part of the programme concentrated on epidemiological aspects: rural and urban study areas were selected on socio-economic level and participation in the liberation war. A two-stage design was used to screen 351 adult consecutive general health care attenders and 100 children in a rural and an urban area for mental disorder. Psychiatric disorders have a morbidity of 12% among adults seen in Primary Health Care. Disorders were mainly neuroses (74%), but more psychoses were found than in other countries. No statistically significant difference in morbidity was found between rural-urban areas or between previous war and non-war zones. The diagnostic sensitivity of the Primary Health Care workers was 31%, their diagnostic specificity 88%. Thirteen per cent of the children showed neuropsychiatric disturbances. There were no sociocultural impediments to this public mental health approach. During the following intervention programme 850 Primary Health Care workers were trained and supervised nationwide. The diagnostic sensitivity of major mental disorders and epilepsy increased from 31% to an average of 85%. Before the training, their knowledge of the treatment of these disorders was nil whereas after training 82% of the patients received appropriate treatment. Moreover, this model programme shows a profitable cost/benefit ratio and a high sustainability over the last 10 years.


Author(s):  
Elijah Marangu ◽  
Fethi Mansouri ◽  
Natisha Sands ◽  
David Ndetei ◽  
Peterson Muriithi ◽  
...  

Abstract Aim To assess mental health literacy of health workers in primary health care services in Kenya. Background Mental illness is common in Kenya, yet there are fewer than 500 specialist mental health workers to serve Kenya’s population of over 50 million. The World Health Organization recommends the integration of mental health care into primary health care services to improve access to and equity of this care, especially in low and middle-income countries. An important step to integrating mental health care into primary health care services is to determine mental health literacy levels of the primary health care workforce. Method A cross-sectional survey using Jorm’s Mental Health Literacy Instrument (adapted for the Kenyan context) was administered to 310 primary health care workers in four counties of Kenya. Results Of the 310 questionnaires distributed, 212 (68.3%) were returned. Of the respondents, 13% had a formal mental health qualification, while only 8.7% had received relevant continuing professional development in the five years preceding the survey. Just over one third (35.6%) of primary health care workers could correctly identify depression, with even fewer recognising schizophrenia (15.7%). Conclusions This study provides preliminary information about mental health literacy among primary health care workers in Kenya. The majority of respondents had low mental health literacy as indicated by their inability to identify common mental disorders. While identifying gaps in primary health care workers’ mental health knowledge, these data highlight opportunities for capacity building that can enhance mental health care in Kenya and similar low and middle-income countries.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document