Telework and Employee Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Two-Wave Survey of Employees at a Texas Health Sciences University

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented and potentially stressful event that inserted itself into the 2019–2020 Canadian medical curriculum. However, its impact on stress and subsequent professional pathways is not well understood. This study aims to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental well-being, training, and career choices of Canadian medical clerks within the first three months of the pandemic. It also aims to assess their use of university support systems and their appreciation of potential solutions to common academic stressors.MethodsAn electronic survey composed of four sections: demographics, stressors experienced during the pandemic, World Health Organization (WHO) well-being index, and stress management and resources was distributed to Canadian clerks.ResultsClerks from 10 of the 17 Canadian medical faculties participated in this study (n = 627). Forty-five percent of clerks reported higher levels of stress than usual; 22% reconsidered their residency choice; and 19% reconsidered medicine as a career. The factors that were most stressful among clerks were: the means of return to rotations; decreased opportunities to be productive in view of residency match; and taking the national licensing exam after the beginning of residency. The mean WHO well-being index was 14.8/25 ± 4.5, indicating a poor level of well-being among a considerable proportion of students. Clerks who reconsidered their residency choice or medicine as a career had lower mean WHO well-being indices. Most clerks agreed with the following suggested solutions: training sessions on the clinical management of COVID-19 cases; being allowed to submit fewer reference letters when applying to residency; and having protected time to study for their licensing exam during residency. Overall, clerks were less concerned with being infected during their rotations than with the impact of the pandemic on their future career and residency match.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic had a considerable impact on the medical curriculum and well-being of clerks. A number of student-identified solutions were proposed to reduce stress. The implementation of these solutions throughout the Canadian medical training system should be considered.

Background: Simulated disaster is increasingly popular as an educational tool. Real-world response to disaster is known to cause psychological trauma, but little is known about the psychological effects of simulated disaster response. The World Health Organization-5 (WHO-5) well-being index is a brief, validated screening tool for wellbeing and depression risk. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of simulated disaster on well-being using the WHO-5. Methods: As part of an annual series of community-based disaster response simulation events, volunteers including community members, healthcare professionals and medical students were screened using the WHO-5 well-being index. Rates of well-being and depression risk were compared to national averages. Poor well-being was defined as a total score of ≤ 13 or 0 or 1 on any question. Results: A total of 29 (21 medical students) and 114 (19 medical students) individuals completed the survey after two separate events. Poor well-being was found in 24.1% (N=7) and 24.6% (N=28) of all responders and 23.8% (N=5) and 10.5% (N=2) of the medical student cohort after the preload and event, respectively. Majority age for total cohort (N=139) was between19-60 (93%) and 63% (N=88) were female. Conclusion: A minority of participants reported poor well-being in realistic disaster-simulation. However, community-based simulation exercises should increasingly consider well-being to ensure safety of training environments.

POS1213 IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND LOCKDOWN ON WELLBEING ON PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATIC DISEASES. RESULTS FROM THE REUMAVID STUDY (PHASE 1)

This study aimed to examine and compare the extent of burnout among health science faculty at a higher education institution and their self-reported perception of well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. The design of the study was cross-sectional, descriptive survey research. An electronic questionnaire was developed to measure the constructs of burnout and well-being. Validated instruments used in the survey included the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) and the World Health Organization-5 Well-being Index. The Qualtrics ® platform was used to distribute the survey to all full-time faculty within the College of Health Sciences. 45 respondents from nursing, community and environmental health, kinesiology, social work, respiratory care, allied health sciences, and radiologic sciences completed the survey. Significant differences were observed in the extent of burnout and perception of well-being between faculty members who had clinical teaching responsibilities within their faculty role compared to those who did not, <em>p</em> = 0.005, Partial Eta Squared = 0.318. Faculty with a 9-month contract appointment had significantly lower OLBI-Disengagement scores (p = 0.024) and OLBI-Full Burnout scores (p = 0.047) compared with those with another contract length. There was a significantly negative relationship between the extent of burnout and perception of well-being. In this sample of health science faculty, burnout, as characterized by increased exhaustion and disengagement, was moderately prevalent and associated with poorer well-being.

Background and Objectives: Concerns have been expressed about the possible adverse impact of increased screen time on the psychological well-being of students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study aimed to assess the relationship between screen time and mental well-being among college students. Methods: This cross-sectional online survey-based study was conducted among Indian college students. Details regarding sociodemographics and the amount and pattern of screen time usage and mental well-being (assessed using World Health Organization Well-Being Index; 5) were collected. Furthermore, personality traits were assessed using a validated questionnaire. Results: The final study sample comprised of 731 medical and engineering undergraduate students with a mean age of 20.7 years. The total screen time across different devices among the study participants for both weekdays and weekends was comparable, with a median value of 540 min. Poor mental well-being was significantly associated with higher total screen time (P = 0.03). Furthermore, screen time use predominantly to access social media for noncommunication purposes was associated with significantly lower mental well-being scores (P = 0.03). Conclusions: The current study highlights the impact of screen time on the mental well-being of students. The higher total screen time use was associated with poor mental well-being. Various types of screen time could have a differential relation with the mental well-being of students. Increased screen time use predominantly to access social media for noncommunication purposes was associated with a higher risk of poor mental well-being.

Citation:Badahdah AM, Khamis F, Al Mahyijari N. Sleep quality among health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Clin Sleep Med. 2020;16(9):1635.

Introduction: Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) have adverse effects on physical and psychosocial health and results in marital problems with reduced quality of life in partners. Aims and Objectives: The aims and objectives of the study are to investigate the relationship between domestic violence (DV), marital satisfaction, and well-being in partners of AUD patients. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study on patients with AUD and their partners. We administered the Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire to the participants and DV questionnaire, marital satisfaction scale, coping questionnaire, and the World Health Organization (WHO-5) well-being index scales to the partners. Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive statistics were depicted using frequency tables, and linear regression analysis was performed. Results: DV was reported by 36.98% of the partners, and the marital satisfaction rate was 62.58%. The WHO-5 well-being was 33.88%, engaged coping was 38.60%, tolerant coping was 23.60%, withdrawal coping being 6.18%, and total coping was 72.76%. The severity of alcohol dependence syndrome (ADS) negatively correlated with well-being (r = 0.24) and marital satisfaction (r = 0.17). Furthermore, DV showed a negative correlation with the marital satisfaction (r = 0.32; P = 0.02) and well-being (r = 0.50; P = 0.0001) with statistical significance. Conclusions: The majority of the partners experienced DV, marital dissatisfaction, and poor well-being.

The outbreak of a pandemic has negative psychological effects. We aimed to determine the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic during pregnancy and identify the risk factors for maternal well-being. A multicenter, prospective, population-based study was carried out that included women (n = 1320) who were pregnant during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Barcelona (Spain) compared against a pre-pandemic cohort (n = 345). Maternal well-being was assessed using the validated World Health Organization Well-Being Index Questionnaire (WHO-5 Index). Pregnant women attended during the COVID-19 pandemic showed worst WHO-5 well-being scores (median (IQR) of 56 (36–72) for the pandemic cohort vs. 64 (52–76) for the pre-pandemic cohort p < 0.001), with 42.8% of women presenting a poor well-being score vs. 28% for the pre-pandemic cohort (p < 0.001). Presence of a previous psychiatric disorder (OR 7.1; 95% CI 2.6–19, p < 0.001), being in the third trimester of pregnancy (OR 1.7; 95% CI 1.5–2, p < 0.001), or requiring hospital admission for COVID-19 (OR 4.7; 95% CI 1.4–16.7, p = 0.014), significantly contributed to low maternal well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic (multivariate analysis). Being infected by SARS-CoV-2 was not associated with a lower well-being score. We conclude that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, there were higher rates of poor maternal well-being; the infection of SARS-CoV-2 itself did not worsen maternal well-being, but other factors as psychiatric disorders, being in the third trimester of pregnancy or hospital admission for COVID-19 disease did.

To assess the association between erectile dysfunction and subjective well-being among primary care patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This cross-sectional study included 340 men with type 2 diabetes treated in primary health care settings in the Ismailia governorate between April 2021 and April 2022. A multistage random cluster sampling technique was used. Sociodemographic data, disease characteristics, lifestyle, surgical and sexual history, and the Arabic translations of the abridged 5-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) Questionnaire, and the 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) were gathered. Erectile dysfunction was identified in 72.94% of diabetic patients, with 55% mild or mild-to-moderate (ED I), and 17.9% moderate or severe (ED II). Twenty percent had Poor subjective well-being, with a mean WHO-5 index of 63.4 (± 15.4). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that education, diabetes duration, insufficient income, dyslipidemia, benign prostate hyperplasia, and IIEF-5 score were significantly associated with poor subjective well-being. Increasing IIEF-5 score was significantly associated with a 22% decrease in the odds of poor subjective well-being (OR: 0.78; 95% CI 0.66-0.93). Multinomial regression analysis showed that increasing score of the WHO-5 well-being index was associated with a 11% and 14% reduction in the odds of ED I and II, respectively (OR: 0.89 (95% CI 0.86-0.93), and 0.86 (95% CI 0.81-0.92), respectively). Erectile dysfunction and subjective well-being were interrelated. Early detection of erectile dysfunction is essential for improving the positive mental health of men with type 2 diabetes in primary care.

Business sector in developed countries faces financial losses related to health problems of their employees. These expenses are related to economic as well as to human losses. Therefore it is important to enhance employee well-being in order to prevent these problems. Traditional understanding of health mostly stresses the problem solving strategy, thus neglecting the search of factors, strengthening both the individual and the organization well-being. Compared to other EU countries, a subjective happiness level in Lithuania is rather low, therefore, a thorough study of positive psychological and social factors, encouraging personality development applicable to an organizational setting, creates a new impulse for the search of a harmonious combination of the person and the organization. Having this in mind the project aiming at developing a comprehensive model of the employee and the workplace well-being, based on biopsychosocial understanding of health and promoting positive healthrelated factors in an organization, was initiated. The object of the study is positive psychosocial factors affecting the employee and the workplace well-being. The present article presents a generalised view on the benefits of the employee and his workplace well-being interventions based on a thorough analysis of research literature of foreign and Lithuanian scientists. The authors introduce an Integrated Theoretical Model of Employee Well-being and Positive Work Environment. The model was formed based on the literature analysis. Publications for the analysis were collected from databases using keywords such as ‘organization’, ‘well-being’, ‘wellness’. The model is based on the biopsychosocial understanding of health including the interplay of healthrelated biological, social and psychological factors, as well as emphasizing promotion of the health-affecting positive psychosocial factors. The methods of the study were analysis of scientific literature, expert survey, comparison and generalisation. Effectiveness of employee health, well-being and positive work environment interventions . Most research findings on the benefits of health and wellbeing programmes in organizations confirm positive impact of the programmes upon the employee health and wellbeing: employees become more healthy, health costs are reduced, employee morale increased, productivity enhanced, decreased turnover, sick-leaves, increased employee endurance, self-esteem, sharpness of mind, new social bonds are created (Ginn, Henri, 2003). Therefore attention should be drawn on promotion not only of biological, but also of psychological and social wellbeing which is beneficial not only for employees, but for organizations as well. Separation of positive psychosocial factors affecting employee and workplace well-being. The literature analysis was performed in two phases: a) well-being models were analysed, b) analysis was focused on expanding the existing models by separate health and well-being related factors. Such an organization of the systematic literature analysis allowed to make a thorough list of well-being-related factors. These factors were grouped into several groups: a) individual characteristics of an employee determining employee well-being in general (sense of coherence, purpose and meaning in life, orientation towards personality growth, positive attitude towards life, positive affectivity, emotional intellect, playfulness, spirituality and values, general health and wilful personal responsibility for it; b) specific psychological personality characteristics related to a specific job (subjective satisfaction with one’s job and career, finding meaning in one’s job, job involvement, organizational commitment, psychological empowerment); c) interaction between the employee and the organization (a balance between professional and personal life having leisure time); d) organizational factors having impact on the employee well-being (sense of control and job demands, work conditions, work schedule, safety, organizational resources); e) quality of social relationships in the organization (positive organizational climate, organizational culture and healthpromoting organizational values, social support, characteristics of the leader); f) context of personality life (political and social formation, quality of personal relationships, positive interpersonal relationships, social network). Elaboration of the Integrated Theoretical Employee Well-being and Positive Workplace Model. The above-mentioned factors were combined into a model consisting of three basic groups of factors: individual psychological as well as organizational factors, mediated by home-work balance, within the context of broader social circumstances. The Integrated Theoretical Model of Employee Well-being and Positive Work Environment creates theoretical basis for practical intervention programmes in organizations. The Model needs to be empirically verified in order to assess the significance of its components on the employee well-being and positive work environment. This research was funded by a grant (No.MIP- 145/2010) from the Research Council of Lithuania.

Our aim was to assess the prevalence and predictors of well-being among Brazilian industry workers on returning to the physical workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two thousand two hundred forty-one participants completed an online survey between October and November 2021. Well-being was assessed with the World Health Organization Well-being Index, and the questionnaire also addressed sociodemographic and occupational characteristics and the health of workers and their contacts. Associations were estimated with logistic regression models. The prevalence of adequate well-being was 63.15%. The predictors of poor well-being included being female, younger, working exclusively from home or on a hybrid model, having comorbid disorders, and living with someone with any comorbidity. The identification of vulnerable groups with poor well-being may help organizations to direct efforts to the unmet psychological needs of these employees and develop well-being programs during this transition.

PurposeHealth disparities affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) populations have been reported in many countries. For Singapore, no large quantitative studies on mental health and well-being in the local LGBTQ community have been published. The authors conducted a community-based survey (National LGBT Census Singapore, 2013; NLCS2013) that covered a comprehensive set of demographic, social and health indicators. Here, the authors investigated mental health status and its correlates in 2,350 LGBTQ individuals within the NLCS2013 sample.Design/methodology/approachThe NLCS2013 was an anonymous online survey conducted amongst self-identified LGBTQ adults (aged ≥ 21 years) residing in Singapore. The survey included the World Health Organisation Well-being Index (WHO-5) as a measure of mental well-being, with low WHO 5 scores (<13/25) indicating poor mental well-being. The authors analysed relationships between low WHO-5 score and a range of respondent characteristics using multivariate logistic regression.FindingsStrikingly, 40.9% of 2,350 respondents analysed had low WHO-5 scores, indicating poor mental well-being. Parental non-acceptance, experience of conflict at home and bullying/discrimination in the workplace or educational environments were all significantly associated with poor mental well-being. Conversely, community participation appeared protective for mental well-being, as respondents who participated in LGBTQ community organisations or events were less likely to have poor mental well-being than non-participants.Originality/valueThe NLCS2013 represents one of the first broad-based efforts to comprehensively and quantitatively capture the sociodemographic and health profile, including mental health status, within Singapore’s resident LGBTQ population. These findings affirm the need to address the mental health needs of LGBTQ individuals in Singapore and to foster safe spaces and allyship.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, many governments promoted the adoption and development of telework to reduce some of the consequences of the current health crisis on the economy and favor social distancing. The aim of this web-based cross-sectional study was to assess the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic on job organization, exploring the effects of lockdown measures on the psychological distress and perceived well-being of workers experiencing telework. A web-based cross-sectional survey has been used to collect data. The participants answered the questionnaire from April 1 to April 30, 2020. The questionnaire consisted of three sections, which investigated: 1) demographic and occupational variables, 2) lifestyle and habits variables, 3) psychological distress and perceived well-being. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) has been used to evaluate psychological distress and the 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) to explore subjective well-being. Psychological distress was associated with educational level, with habits, and with reporting poor well-being. Poor well-being was associated with a higher job demand during pandemic, lifestyle and habits variables, and psychological distress. This is one of the first studies exploring the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures on the perceived well-being and psychological distress of workers experiencing telework. It is mandatory to pay more and more attention to the mental health of teleworkers, considering the increasing diffusion and adoption of this type of work organization.

The unprecedented crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic has posed an enormous challenge ever for health-care organisations to find strategies to deal with their survival. The health-care employees are the frontline soldiers to fight against COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, there is a lack of research regarding the conceptualisation of COVID-19 and its impact on health-care employees' well-being and their organisational sustainability. Extending the role of responsible leadership (RL), the purpose of this paper is to develop a multi-level conceptual model to overcome the crisis of COVID-19 pandemic and promote employee (e.g. workers, nurses and professionals) well-being and organisational sustainability. With a comprehensive literature review, this paper presents five testable propositions and highlights the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on employee well-being and organisational sustainability. The proposed model counsels that organisations need to go beyond the simple application of strategic climate and should enable RL to protect and maintain employee well-being and organisational sustainability. The proposed conceptual model is a step forward to not only explore future empirical research but also it will help the health-care policymakers to take responsible initiatives to increase employee well-being and uphold organisational sustainability. There is a lack of research regarding the conceptualisation of the COVID 19 pandemic and its impact on health-care employees' well-being and organisational sustainability. The proposed conceptual model opens and guides a novel research avenue for the alignment of strategic management (as a moderator) and RL on the relationships among the COVID-19 pandemic, employee well-being and organisational sustainability.

Thus far, the empirical evidence about the effects of HR practices on employee outcomes shows that while HR practices have a positive effect on employee well-being, HR practices also cause side effects in terms of reduced employee health. Despite the growing indications of these trade-offs between different aspects of employee well-being and health, we still have a limited understanding about how and why HR practices are beneficial or detrimental for employee health and well-being. Accordingly, the set of papers in this symposium aim to shed more light on (1) the differential impact of bundles of HR practices (i.e., skill-, motivation-, and opportunity- enhancing HR practices) on various indicators of employee health and well-being and (2) the processes through which HR practices affect different types of employee health and well-being. Collectively the papers suggest that (some) bundles of HR practices have positive effects on employee health and well-being, with some caveats for HRM systems that (in particular situations) also result in reduced employee health by signaling that increased work effort is expected. Are HRM Systems Good or Bad for Employee Well-being? A Meta-analysis of the Workers Verdict Presenter: Hoang Ho; BI Norwegian Business School Presenter: Bard Kuvaas; BI Norwegian Business School Building a Context for Meaningful Work: Exploring the Link between HRM and Positive Employee States Presenter: Jae Hyeung Kang; Oakland U. Presenter: Jake Messersmith; U. of Nebraska, Lincoln The Impact of HRM on the Development and Dynamics of Employee Outcomes: A 1-year Longitudinal Study Presenter: Felix Anker Klein - Of Psychology; Institute of Psychology, U. of Oslo Presenter: Sabine Raeder; U. of Oslo Daily Work Demands, Need for Recovery and Engagement: The Importance of HRM Practices Presenter: Karina Van De Voorde; Tilburg U. High-Performance Work System and Employee Burnout: A Two-Path Model Presenter: Jianmin Sun; Renmin U. of China Presenter: Yuan Li; Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Presenter: Lu Xing; Renmin U. of China