Job Demands, Resources and Strains of Outpatient Caregivers during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Germany: A Qualitative Study

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The COVID-19 pandemic has affected outpatient caregivers in a particular way. While the German population becomes increasingly older, the number of people in need of care has also increased. The health and, thus, the health behaviour of employees in the outpatient care become relevant to maintain working capacity and performance in the long term. The aims of the study were (1) to examine the health behaviour and (2) to explore pandemic-related perceived change of health behaviour among outpatient caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a mixed-methods study, 15 problem-centred interviews and a web-based cross-sectional survey (N = 171) were conducted with outpatient caregivers working in Northern Germany. Interviewees reported partially poorer eating behaviour, higher coffee consumption, lower physical activity, skipping breaks more often and less sleep duration and quality during the pandemic. Some quantitative findings indicate the same tendencies. A majority of participants were smokers and reported higher stress perception due to the pandemic. Preventive behaviour, such as wearing PPE or hand hygiene, was increased among interviewees compared to the pre-pandemic period. Our findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic could negatively affect outpatient caregivers’ health behaviour, e.g., eating/drinking behaviour and physical activity. Therefore, employers in outpatient care should develop workplace health promotion measures to support their employees in conducting more health-promoting behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Section: Discussion Of the Interview And Survey Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An extract of the topic list of the interview guideline is summarised in Supplementary Table S1. Further topics (e.g., job demands, resources and strain reactions, occupational health and safety and further needs) are presented elsewhere [67,68].…”

Section: Interview Guidelinementioning

confidence: 99%

The Health Behaviour of German Outpatient Caregivers in Relation to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Study

Mojtahedzadeh

Neumann

Rohwer

et al. 2021

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“…In this scenario, independent of whether the care is formal or informal, it is important to evaluate and minimize the burden of care providers, and to support them with tailored and integrated healthcare actions. In fact, despite the fact that care providers differ in their working style, motivations, and aims between formal and informal caregivers, COVID-19 brought about overlapping responsibilities and a shift in roles that led both populations of caregivers to experience increased and imbalanced care distribution that negatively affected their mental well-being [ 33 , 34 ]. They were not only exposed to higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression [ 35 , 36 ], but also equally revealed sleep disturbances [ 37 ], frustration, and hopelessness during their caregiving roles, with the consequent risk of struggling with negative emotions, such as self-criticism and shame [ 38 , 39 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychological Support Interventions for Healthcare Providers and Informal Caregivers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Bertuzzi

Semonella

Bruno

et al. 2021

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare providers and informal caregivers were at an increased risk of adverse mental health effects. This systematic review provides a summary of the available evidence on the content and efficacy of the psychological support interventions in increasing mental health among healthcare providers and informal caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: PubMed, Google Scholar, PsychINFO, and Scopus databases were systematically searched for relevant articles, and the methodological quality of selected articles was assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. Results: A search of electronic databases identified five reports based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. All psychological support interventions for caregivers were delivered digitally. Despite the large heterogeneity of the selected studies, the findings support the efficacy of mental health interventions in reducing distress and burnout, while promoting self-efficacy and well-being in both healthcare providers and informal caregivers. Conclusion: Since mental health problems are expected to increase during, and as a result of, the COVID-19 pandemic, and digital tools might offer a range of mental health treatments to meet the unique and immediate needs of people, further research is needed to test the cost-effectiveness of digital psychological interventions.

“…At this point, it must be emphasised that part of the interviews were conducted during the early outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic [ 145 ]. This may have had some impact on the results of the interviews, especially since, for instance, increased stress perception and extra work due to the pandemic was present among outpatient caregivers [ 16 , 146 ]. A further methodological limitation could be seen in the combination of face-to-face interviews and one-to-one telephone interviews.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In such studies it would be interesting to conduct further interviews with outpatient caregivers who have worked during the COVID-19 pandemic, inquiring about how their health behaviours might have changed over the time. In particular outpatient caregivers from Germany faced new challenges in their work activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to higher levels of stress [ 146 ]. Furthermore, it could be a future research desideratum, along with expanding the study sample size.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Health Behaviour of German Outpatient Caregivers in Relation to Their Working Conditions: A Qualitative Study

Mojtahedzadeh

Rohwer

Neumann

et al. 2021

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Ongoing demographic change is leading to an increasingly older society and a rising proportion of people in need of care in the German population. Therefore, the professional group of outpatient caregivers is highly relevant. Their work is characterised not only by interacting with patients in a mobile setting but also by working in shifts. Health behaviour under these specific working conditions is crucial for ensuring long-term work ability and performance. Little is known about the health behaviour of German outpatient caregivers and its potential impact on their work. The aims of the study were (1) to examine health behavioural patterns (nutrition, exercise, smoking, regeneration) of outpatient caregivers, (2) to illuminate their personal health-promoting behaviours, and (3) to identify potential work-related factors influencing their health behaviour. Fifteen problem-centred interviews were conducted with outpatient caregivers working in Northern Germany in the period January–April 2020. Interviews were analysed by using qualitative content analysis. Outpatient caregivers reported improvable nutrition and hydration, with simultaneous high coffee consumption, low physical activity, poor regeneration (breaks and sleep quality), and good personal health-promoting behaviour (e.g., back-friendly habits), although the majority were smokers. Barriers to the implementation of health-promoting behaviours were a high perception of stress due to increased workload and time pressure, while aids to better health-promoting behaviour were described as being social support and personal resources. The respondents perceived their working conditions as potentially influencing their health behaviour. On the basis of their descriptions, various practice-relevant strategies were derived. The data explore a potential need for outpatient care services to develop interventions on behavioural and structural levels that can help create healthier working conditions for their employees so these caregivers can adopt better health behaviours.