The Effect of COVID-19 Endemicity on the Mental Health of Health Workers.
A major surge in COVID-19 cases despite Singapore's high vaccination has strained the health care system in October 2021. Our aim was to assess and compare Healthcare Worker (HCW) mental well-being in 2021 against a previously published cohort in 2020.
Cross-sectional survey study.
HCWs from 4 public hospitals and a primary health care system over a 4-week duration in 2021 coinciding with a major surge compared with a similar period in 2020.
A survey comprising of the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ) was distributed via email. Primary endpoints were the proportion meeting OLBI thresholds for both disengagement and exhaustion and being at risk for both Anxiety and Depression using HADS. Multivariate analysis identified significant predictors among demographic, workplace, and SAQ data. Subgroup analysis of overseas HCWs was performed.
We surveyed 1475 HCWs. Significantly more HCWs met primary outcomes using OLBI and HADS than in 2020 (84.1% and 39.6% vs 68.2% and 23.3%, respectively; P < .001). Burnout levels were uniformly high. A HADS score ≥8 in either subscale was significantly associated with meeting burnout thresholds (P < .001). Overseas HCWs (P = .002), South Asian ethnicity (P = .004), preuniversity educational qualifications (P = .026), and longer shift workhours of 8 to <12 (P = .015) and ≥12 (P = .001) were significantly associated with meeting HADS thresholds. Among overseas HCWs (n=407), seeing family more than a year ago was significantly associated with worse OLBI disengagement scores and a greater proportion meeting HADS thresholds vs seeing them within a year or being local HCWs (47.2% vs 37.2% and 35.6%, respectively; P = .001).
HCW mental health has objectively worsened between 2020 and 2021 in the pandemic's second year. Avoiding prolonged shifts, adopting preventive mental health strategies, improving patient safety, and attention to HCWs of minority ethnicity, from overseas, and with preuniversity education may help.
Abhiram K
,Tan BYQ
,Tan M
,Tan L
,Sia CH
,Chua YX
,Lim LJH
,Suppiah CM
,Sim K
,Chan YH
,Ooi SBS
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Burnout and Associated Factors Among Health Care Workers in Singapore During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The strain on health care systems due to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased psychological distress among health care workers (HCWs). As this global crisis continues with little signs of abatement, we examine burnout and associated factors among HCWs.
Cross-sectional survey study.
Doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, administrative, and support staff in 4 public hospitals and 1 primary care service in Singapore 3 months after COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic.
Study questionnaire captured demographic and workplace environment information and comprised 3 validated instruments, namely the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Multivariate mixed model regression analyses were used to evaluate independent associations of mean OLBI-Disengagement and -Exhaustion scores. Further subgroup analysis was performed among redeployed HCWs.
Among 11,286 invited HCWs, 3075 valid responses were received, giving an overall response rate of 27.2%. Mean OLBI scores were 2.38 and 2.50 for Disengagement and Exhaustion, respectively. Burnout thresholds in Disengagement and Exhaustion were met by 79.7% and 75.3% of respondents, respectively. On multivariate regression analysis, Chinese or Malay ethnicity, HADS anxiety or depression scores ≥8, shifts lasting ≥8 hours, and being redeployed were significantly associated with higher OLBI mean scores, whereas high SAQ scores were significantly associated with lower scores. Among redeployed HCWs, those redeployed to high-risk areas in a different facility (offsite) had lower burnout scores than those redeployed within their own work facility (onsite). A higher proportion of HCWs redeployed offsite assessed their training to be good or better compared with those redeployed onsite.
Every level of the health care workforce is susceptible to high levels of burnout during this pandemic. Modifiable workplace factors include adequate training, avoiding prolonged shifts ≥8 hours, and promoting safe working environments. Mitigating strategies should target every level of the health care workforce, including frontline and nonfrontline staff. Addressing and ameliorating burnout among HCWs should be a key priority for the sustainment of efforts to care for patients in the face of a prolonged pandemic.
Tan BYQ
,Kanneganti A
,Lim LJH
,Tan M
,Chua YX
,Tan L
,Sia CH
,Denning M
,Goh ET
,Purkayastha S
,Kinross J
,Sim K
,Chan YH
,Ooi SBS
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Healthcare Worker Mental Health After the Initial Peak of the COVID-19 Pandemic: a US Medical Center Cross-Sectional Survey.
There is a paucity of data on the mental health impact of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on United States (US) healthcare workers (HCWs) after the first surge in the spring of 2020.
To determine the impact of the pandemic on HCWs, and the relationship between HCW mental health and demographics, occupational factors, and COVID-19 concerns.
Cross-sectional survey in an urban medical center (September-November 2020) in Baltimore, MD, in the United States.
A total of 605 HCWs (physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, physician assistants, patient care technicians, respiratory therapists, social workers, mental health therapists, and case managers).
Measures of mental health (Patient Health Questionnaire-2, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, PROMIS Sleep Disturbance 4a, Impact of Event Scale-Revised, Maslach Burnout Inventory-2 item, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-2 item), demographics, occupational factors, and COVID-19 related concerns.
Fifty-two percent of 1198 HCWs responded to the survey and 14.2% reported depression, 43.1% mild or higher anxiety, 31.6% sleep disturbance, 22.3% posttraumatic stress symptoms, 21.6% depersonalization, 46.0% emotional exhaustion, and 23.1% lower resilience. Relative to HCWs providing in-person care to COVID-19 infected patients none of their working days, those doing so all or most days were more likely to experience worse depression (adjusted odds ratio, 3.9; 95% CI, 1.3-11.7), anxiety (aOR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.4-6.3), possible PTSD symptoms (aOR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.1-5.8), and higher burnout (aOR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.1-6.0). Worse mental health in several domains was associated with higher health fear (aORs ranged from 2.2 to 5.0), job stressors (aORs ranged from 1.9 to 4.0), perceived social stigma/avoidance (aORs ranged from 1.8 to 2.9), and workplace safety concerns (aORs ranged from 1.8 to 2.8).
US HCWs experienced significant mental health symptoms eight months into the pandemic. More time spent providing in-person care to COVID-19-infected patients and greater COVID-19-related concerns were consistently associated with worse mental health.
Van Wert MJ
,Gandhi S
,Gupta I
,Singh A
,Eid SM
,Haroon Burhanullah M
,Michtalik H
,Malik M
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