COVID-19 Staff Wellbeing Survey: longitudinal survey of psychological well-being among health and social care staff in Northern Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keith Kerrigan,Dympna Browne,Ciaran Shannon,Thomas Mccarthy,Julie-Ann Jordan,Ciaran Mulholland,Jennifer Maguire,Emma Carroll,Kevin F W Dyer,Sinead Hannan,Mark A Tully

doi:10.1192/bjo.2021.988

Abstract

Throughout the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, health and social care workers have faced unprecedented professional demands, all of which are likely to have placed considerable strain on their psychological well-being. To measure the national prevalence of mental health symptoms within healthcare staff, and identify individual and organisational predictors of well-being. The COVID-19 Staff Wellbeing Survey is a longitudinal online survey of psychological well-being among health and social care staff in Northern Ireland. The survey included four time points separated by 3-month intervals; time 1 (November 2020; n = 3834) and time 2 (February 2021; n = 2898) results are presented here. At time 2, 84% of respondents had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The survey included four validated psychological well-being questionnaires (depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress and insomnia), as well as demographic and organisational measures. At time 1 and 2, a high proportion of staff reported moderate-to-severe symptoms of depression (30-36%), anxiety (26-27%), post-traumatic stress (30-32%) and insomnia (27-28%); overall, significance tests and effect size data suggested psychological well-being was generally stable between November 2020 and February 2021 for health and social care staff. Multiple linear regression models indicated that perceptions of less effective communication within their organisation predicted greater levels of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress and insomnia. This study highlights the need to offer psychological support to all health and social care staff, and to communicate with staff regularly, frequently and clearly regarding COVID-19 to help protect staff psychological well-being.

Highlights

Throughout the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, health and social care workers have faced unprecedented professional demands, all of which are likely to have placed considerable strain on their psychological well-being
At time 1 and 2, a high proportion of staff reported moderate-tosevere symptoms of depression (30–36%), anxiety (26–27%), post-traumatic stress (30–32%) and insomnia (27–28%); overall, significance tests and effect size data suggested psychological well-being was generally stable between November 2020 and February 2021 for health and social care staff
Multiple linear regression models indicated that perceptions of less effective communication within their organisation predicted greater levels of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress and insomnia

Summary

Introduction

Throughout the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, health and social care workers have faced unprecedented professional demands, all of which are likely to have placed considerable strain on their psychological well-being. Evidence from representative community studies indicate that the general population in the UK have experienced clinical levels of a range of psychological symptoms, including anxiety (22%), depression (22%) and posttraumatic stress (17%).[1] Unsurprisingly, these figures are elevated for UK healthcare workers because of the considerable professional demands placed on them over a long-term period, with estimates of ‘caseness’ (i.e. moderate-to-severe symptoms) at 27% for depression, 23% for general anxiety and 30% for post-traumatic stress symptoms[2] throughout the early stages of the pandemic. Exposure to unique stressors and wider organisational strain, including ‘moral injury’ a source of psychological distress related to clinical pressures and decision-making that violates a staff member’s moral or ethical code[3] may partially account for these enhanced mental health difficulties in healthcare staff.[2]

Methods

Results

Conclusion