The Pandemic Is Not Occurring in a Vacuum: The Impact of COVID-19 and Other Disasters on Workforce Mental Health in Australia.

Tegan Podubinski,Kristen M Glenister

doi:10.1017/dmp.2021.238

Tegan Podubinski, Kristen M Glenister

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2021.238

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Abstract

Prior to coronavirus disease (COVID-19), many Australians experienced extreme bushfires, droughts, and floods. A history of experiencing these events might be a risk factor for increased psychological distress during COVID-19. This study aimed to provide insight into the mental health of Australian workers during the initial COVID-19 outbreak, with an additional focus on whether previous disaster exposure and impact from that disaster is a risk factor for increased psychological distress. A snowball recruitment strategy was used. Participants (n = 596) completed an online survey, which included the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21, and questions related to mental health and disaster exposure. Overall, 19.2%, 13.4%, and 16.8% of participants were experiencing moderate to extremely severe depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms, respectively. Multiple regression found that higher depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms were associated with a pre-existing mental health diagnosis; only higher stress symptoms were associated with having experienced a disaster, with impact, in addition to COVID-19. People who have experienced impact from an additional disaster might need additional support to protect their mental health during COVID-19. A focus on the cumulative mental health impacts of multiple disasters and the implications for organizational communities where recovery work is undertaken, such as schools and workplaces, is needed.

Highlights

Within Australia, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has caused unprecedented disruption to the way most people live, with widespread physical distancing, travel restrictions and border closures, work-from-home mandates, and lockdowns enforced
Novel approaches to community intervention need to be explored,[12] in rural and regional Australia where appropriate treatment services are often limited or unavailable.[25]. While these are larger issues that will be considered in other manuscripts, this paper focuses on the mental health of Australian workers during the COVID-19 outbreak
This study provides some insight into how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the mental health of people living and working in Australia, those who were exposed to a disaster prior to COVID-19

Summary

Introduction

Within Australia, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has caused unprecedented disruption to the way most people live, with widespread physical distancing, travel restrictions and border closures, work-from-home mandates, and lockdowns enforced. Previous respiratory endemics, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), influenza A/H1N1, and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) posed significant psychological consequences onto many population groups, including symptoms of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder.[1] Given the level of upheaval associated with COVID-19, it is likely there will be both an acute and long-term impact on the mental health and well-being of Australian communities, the scale and extent of this is only starting to emerge.[2] The impacts of COVID-19 might be compounded by other recent disasters. The Australian COVID-19 literature has largely focused on COVID-19 in isolation from other disasters

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