Psychological Distress and Work Environment Perception by Physical Therapists from Southern Italy during COVID-19 Pandemic: The C.A.L.A.B.R.I.A Study.

Alessandro De Sire,Simona Raimo,Maria Teresa Inzitari,Antonio Ammendolia,Alessandra Gimigliano,Marco Invernizzi,Anna Tasselli,Nicola Marotta,Lorenzo Lippi,Liana Palermo

doi:10.3390/ijerph18189676

Abstract

The psychosocial impact of the work environment during the COVID-19 pandemic on health professionals is a growing issue. The present study examined specific psychosocial work environment indicators during the COVID-19 pandemic, through a multiple regression model of a self-administered cross-sectional online survey in a cohort of physical therapists from a region of Southern Italy from March 2020 to May 2021. The questionnaire contained items on work and healthcare issues related to COVID-19. Eighty physical therapists (29 male and 51 female), mean age 32.5 ± 10.1 years, were involved in this survey. The multiple regression analysis showed that “management activity” was significantly correlated to “therapist frustration” during the COVID-19 pandemic (ΔR2 = 0.16; p < 0.03). Findings of this study underline the importance of a healthy psychosocial work environment to enhance job satisfaction of all health professionals and to avoid role conflict and burnout syndrome during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Highlights

The psychosocial impact of the work environment during the COVID-19 pandemic on health professionals is a growing issue
In this local cross-sectional survey, entitled “COVID-19: A Long And Brief Rehabilitative Interdisciplinary Approach (C.A.L.A.B.R.I.A) study”, we enrolled a cohort of Italian physical therapists involved in the management of patients with post-acute COVID-19 in Calabria, a Region of Southern Italy
Inclusion criteria were: (a) physical therapists working in COVID-19 clinics; (b) physical therapists involved in the management of patients with COVID-19; (c) consent to share their data with the researchers

Summary

Introduction

The psychosocial impact of the work environment during the COVID-19 pandemic on health professionals is a growing issue. The present study examined specific psychosocial work environment indicators during the COVID-19 pandemic, through a multiple regression model of a self-administered cross-sectional online survey in a cohort of physical therapists from a region of Southern Italy from March 2020 to May 2021. Large numbers of COVID-19 patients require outpatient and home rehabilitation care and the negative impact of the pandemic on Rehabilitation Units’ performance and organization still causes deficiencies in meeting patient needs [3]. In this published maps and institutional affiliations. Rehabilitation treatment begins immediately after discharge from intensive care and clinically stable COVID-19 patients in the post-acute phase have undergone a rehabilitation protocol aimed at reducing dyspnea and improving gas exchange, muscle function and autonomy in activities of daily living (ADL) [5]

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