Mental Health Symptoms and Workplace Challenges among Australian Paramedics during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Katherine Petrie,Karen Willis,Amy Pascoe,Natasha Smallwood

doi:10.3390/ijerph19021004

Abstract

Background: Paramedics are vital to the health system response to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the pressures on this workforce have been intense and challenging. This study reports on mental health symptoms and the working environment among Australian paramedics during the COVID-19 pandemic and explores their experiences of work and wellbeing during this time. Methods: An anonymous, online survey of frontline healthcare workers examined work environment, psychological wellbeing, and contained four open-ended qualitative items. Using a mixed method approach, quantitative data were analysed descriptively and qualitative data were analysed using content analysis. Results: This paper reports findings from 95 paramedics who provided complete quantitative data and 85 paramedics who provided free-text responses to at least one qualitative item. Objectively measured mental health symptoms were common among paramedics, and almost two thirds of paramedics self-reported experiencing burnout. Qualitative analysis highlighted key issues of safety and risk in the workplace, uncertainty and upheaval at work and at home, and lack of crisis preparedness. Qualitative analysis revealed four themes; ‘the pervasiveness of COVID-19 disruptions across all life domains’; ‘the challenges of widespread disruption at work’; ‘risk, uncertainty and feeling unsafe at work’, and ‘the challenges of pandemic (un)preparedness across the health system’. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in considerable occupational disruption for paramedics and was associated with significant negative impacts on mental health. Findings emphasise the need for more adaptive working conditions, mental health support for paramedics, and enhanced crisis preparedness across the health system for future crises.

Highlights

Introduction published maps and institutional affil-. Public health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic represent a major threat to the wellbeing of frontline healthcare workers (HCW), including paramedics
Most paramedics were working full-time, and the majority reported working with individuals infected with COVID-19 (81.1%, n = 77)
Almost half of participants indicated a need for more training regarding personal protective equipment (PPE) or managing people infected with COVID-19 (45.3%, n = 43)

Summary

Introduction

Public health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic represent a major threat to the wellbeing of frontline healthcare workers (HCW), including paramedics. HCWs working in the community are affected by such events, which intensify existing stressors and create additional challenges, such as increased uncertainty in the workplace [1,2]. Paramedics are a vital and fundamental part of this frontline healthcare response to COVID-19 and have faced increased risk and workplace stress during the pandemic [3]. Paramedics have had to adapt quickly to multiple challenges, including fear of contracting the virus, increased workloads, insufficient resources and large amounts of new and constantly changing information. The work of paramedics is impacted by changes to healthcare delivery in both primary and secondary care as well as community perceptions about accessing healthcare services generally. Despite an initial reduction in callouts during the pandemic, lockdown restrictions are implicated in increased callouts iations

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion