Psychological support for health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Leszcz, Molyn; Maunder, Robert G.; Hunter, Jennifer J.

doi:10.1503/cmaj.75864

Cited by 10 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 6 publications

(3 reference statements)

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“…In response to the new coronavirus outbreak, implementation of psychological support for health workers has been developed and promoted (Geoffroy et al, 2020;Leszcz et al, 2020;Cole et al, 2020). However, research shows (Makwana, 2019) that in times of crisis, everyone, not just health workers, is more likely to develop mental health problems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Concerns, Positive Changes, and Suggestions for Psychological Support during COVID-19: A Thematic Analysis

Lavrič¹,

Gomboc²,

Krohne³

et al. 2020

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Background: On 12 March 2020, Slovenia formally declared the presence of a pandemic of COVID-19 disease, followed by measures to stop the spread of the virus. Scope: The aim of this study was to explore how people experienced the progress of events related to the COVID-19 epidemic. Method: We conducted a general adult population survey by an online questionnaire that included-among others-three open-ended questions. Thematic analysis was applied for each question separately to identify key patterns in the data. Results: The first topic (questions about the epidemic) resulted in four core themes: concerns about the disease, concerns about the future, concerns about measures, and concerns about well-being and daily life. The second topic (positive changes during the epidemic) resulted in three core themes: changes in oneself, changes in close relationships, and changes in the environment and society. Lastly, the third topic (requests for psychological support during the epidemic) resulted in three core themes: direct help and support, information and awareness raising, and media activity. Conclusion: Overall, the themes that emerged from our study provide information that can help in understanding how people perceive the influence on their mental health and well-being of the negative and (some) positive effects of the COVID-19 epidemic. This may be helpful in the general preparedness to a feared second wave of the pandemic.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Concerns, Positive Changes, and Suggestions for Psychological Support during COVID-19: A Thematic Analysis

Lavrič¹,

Gomboc²,

Krohne³

et al. 2020

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“…In addition to these findings, we have shown the importance of leadership in ameliorating some of the negative impacts on nurse wellbeing. It was already clear that nurses found their work taxing both physically and emotionally in pre-pandemic times, and that this stress was magnified greatly in the pandemic 2,7 . Consistent with the model published by the British Psychological Society (BPS), the initial stages were marked by heightened states of anxiety and stress, followed by a surge towards action and a pervading air of heroism 6 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Unequivocally, the pandemic has greatly impacted nurses. Nurses who relied on previously established coping styles which were normally adaptive found that they were compromised and overwhelmed by the disruption that COVID-19 had brought 2 . During the pandemic, nurses felt conflicted by their duty of care and their very real human fears of a then little understood virus.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Who is responsible for nurse wellbeing in a crisis? A single centre perspective

Hughes

Petrella

Fern

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Background: Leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic often manifested as a command-and-control style of leadership which had detrimental emotional impacts on staff particularly the nursing workforce. Organisational responsibility for staff wellbeing would be necessary in another pandemic and leadership emerged as a key indicator of the overall health of an organisation and its workforce. Leadership can have detrimental effects on staff wellbeing or it can greatly boost their ability to handle a crisis. We sought to explore the interrelationship between leadership and nurses wellbeing in an inner-city university hospital during the initial wave of the pandemic. Methods: Secondary analysis of interview data collected during a hospital-wide evaluation of barriers and facilitators to changes implemented to support the surge of COVID-19 related admissions during wave 1. Data were collected through semi-structured video interviews between May and July 2020. Interviews were analysed using Framework analysis Results: Thirty-one nurses participated including matrons (n=7), sisters (n=8) and specialist nursing roles (n=16). Three overarching themes were identified: impact on nurses, personal factors and organisational factors. The impact on nurses manifested as distress and fatigue. Coping and help-seeking behaviours were found to be the two personal factors which underpinned nurses wellbeing. The organisational factors that impacted nurses wellbeing included decision-making, duty and teamwork. Conclusions: The wellbeing of the workforce is pivotal to the health service, and it is mutually beneficial for patients, staff, and leaders. Addressing how beliefs and misconceptions around wellbeing are communicated, and accessing psychological support is a key priority to support nurses during pandemics.

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“…Pandemics also cause stress and disengagement for health care workers, perhaps requiring different approaches than for patients. 3 (5) To best support countries in COVID-19 response, GPZL and its members should not only offer guidance. National leprosy programme managers may need additional support to reach measurable outcomes at the country level.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%