Abstract
Ensuring the mental health and well-being of the healthcare workforce globally, especially women healthcare workers (HCWs), is an ongoing challenge that has been accentuated by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Already at high risk of experiencing symptoms of stress, burnout, and depression, women HCWs are now also facing the psychosocial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although different types of mental health interventions have been introduced to support HCW well-being, the current needs of women HCWs have not been emphasized and replicable processes for developing and implementing specific emotional support services for women HCWs have not yet been well-described in the literature. Therefore, in this perspective, we discuss the approach our institution (University of California, Los Angeles) took for developing emotional support services for women HCWs that incorporate aspects of disaster behavioral health models and address various barriers to support and treatment. In addition, we describe and illustrate the process that we utilized to develop individual-level and institutional-level emotional support services. Finally, based on our institution's experience, we share recommendations for developing emotional support services for women HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic and other future crises.
Highlights
Women healthcare workers (HCWs) experience a unique set of work and individual life stressors, often resulting in significant gender-related differences in mental health symptoms and outcomes
Previous research has suggested that women HCWs frequently cite a lack of time, concerns related to confidentiality and stigma, and fear of professional consequences, including effects on licensure status, as barriers to engaging with mental health services [12, 13]
We reviewed the themes from the third model and aimed to ensure that our emotional support and mental health response plan for HCWs addressed many of these requests, especially HCWs’ appeals to their organizations to feel heard, supported, and cared for during the COVID-19 pandemic [29]
Summary
Women healthcare workers (HCWs) experience a unique set of work and individual life stressors, often resulting in significant gender-related differences in mental health symptoms and outcomes. Various interventions to support the mental health of HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic have been described in the literature [24] and calls to include a gender perspective when developing interventions have been made [25], there remains limited information on the specific needs of women HCWs during this challenging time and specific processes institutions can use to develop and implement emotional support services. Recognizing that any obstacle to engaging with needed support becomes magnified during disasters or crises, we matched high-risk clinical and nonclinical units, departments, or workgroups with mental health clinicians to serve as an embedded designated resource for emotional support and mental health concerns Depending on their familiarity with their assigned workgroups, these clinicians joined regular, recurring staff huddles or held additional ones to introduce themselves, listen to staff concerns, and normalize the fear and stress associated with adjusting to the implications of new realities. These forums may prove to be especially helpful as many women HCWs’ children return to school, albeit via new formats and with an uncharted set of circumstances
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
