Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 crisis has caused prolonged and extreme demands on healthcare services. This study investigates the types and prevalence of occupational disruptions, and associated symptoms of mental illness, among Australian frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A national cross-sectional online survey was conducted between 27 August and 23 October 2020. Frontline healthcare workers were invited to participate via dissemination from major health organisations, professional associations or colleges, universities, government contacts, and national media. Data were collected on demographics, home and work situations, and validated scales of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and burnout. Results: Complete responses were received from 7846 healthcare workers (82.4%). Most respondents were female (80.9%) and resided in the Australian state of Victoria (85.2%). Changes to working conditions were common, with 48.5% reporting altered paid or unpaid hours, and many redeployed (16.8%) or changing work roles (27.3%). Nearly a third (30.8%) had experienced a reduction in household income during the pandemic. Symptoms of mental illness were common, being present in 62.1% of participants. Many respondents felt well supported by their workplaces (68.3%) and believed that workplace communication was timely and useful (74.4%). Participants who felt well supported by their organisation had approximately half the risk of experiencing moderate to severe anxiety, depression, burnout, and PTSD. Half (50.4%) of respondents indicated a need for additional training in using personal protective equipment and/or caring for patients with COVID-19. Conclusions: Occupational disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic occurred commonly in health organisations and were associated with worse mental health outcomes in the Australian health workforce. Feeling well supported was associated with significantly fewer adverse mental health outcomes. Crisis preparedness focusing on the provision of timely and useful communication and support is essential in current and future crises.
Highlights
Crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic impose prolonged and extreme demands on healthcare systems and healthcare workers (HCWs)
This paper reports a subset of findings from the Australian COVID-19 Frontline Healthcare Workers Study, an initiative led by frontline clinicians in partnership with academics to investigate the prevalence and severity of occupational, social, and financial disruptions and their impact on mental health in Australian HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic
Predictor variables examined in regression models for occupational disruptions and training/confidence included: age, sex, state, occupation, number of years working since graduating, lives alone, lives with children, lives with people aged over 65, frontline area, practice location, works with COVID-19 patients, anticipates working with COVID-19 patients, received PPE training, need for additional training, confidence in training, close friends or relatives infected with COVID-19, changed household income, concerns regarding household income, and pre-existing mental health condition
Summary
Crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic impose prolonged and extreme demands on healthcare systems and healthcare workers (HCWs). The effect of the pandemic and associated restrictions on Australian HCWs is unclear, with little quantitative work on the influence of occupational change and organisational leadership on the mental health of HCWs during COVID-19. Evidence from prior infectious disease outbreaks and natural disasters indicate that management and communication styles adopted by healthcare organisations can affect the mental health of HCWs and their willingness or ability to adapt to changes [9,10,11]. This paper reports a subset of findings from the Australian COVID-19 Frontline Healthcare Workers Study, an initiative led by frontline clinicians in partnership with academics to investigate the prevalence and severity of occupational, social, and financial disruptions and their impact on mental health in Australian HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic
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