Risk Perception Related to COVID-19 and Future Affective Responses Among Healthcare Workers in Switzerland: A Mixed-Methods Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Objectives: Whereas early findings suggest that risk perceptions related to COVID-19 affect psychological well-being in healthcare workers (HCWs), the temporal associations between these variables need to be clarified and HCWs lived experience further explored. This study proposes a mixed evaluation of COVID-19-related risk perception and affective responses among HCWs.Methods: A longitudinal mixed-method study was conducted. HCWs (N = 138) completed measures of COVID-19 risk perceptions, depression, anxiety, burnout and secondary traumatic stress (STS) at baseline and 6 months later. A subsample (n = 20) participated in semi-structured interviews exploring both risk perceptions and affective responses.Results: Main quantitative findings showed positive associations between worry to contaminate others and depression (IRR = 1.04, p < 0.05), anxiety (IRR = 1.03, p < 0.01), STS (b = 0.3, p < 0.05), and perceptions of lacking protection (IRR = 1.04, p < 0.05) with anxiety scores. Four themes emerged from the thematic content analysis: 1) life was turned upside down; 2) skills were put in quarantine; 3) dealing with patient discomfort; 4) balance to be found between protection and restrictions.Conclusion: These findings emphasize the importance to develop tailored interventions, such as group discussion sessions, to optimize risk perception and help manage uncertainty.

Risk perception of healthcare workers in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil

“…When examining individual RP questions, their highest level of concern was related to the transmission of COVID-19 to family members, friends, and patients. Previous studies have also shown that healthcare workers were more concerned about infecting others, especially family members and loved ones, than about being infected themselves [ 33 , [51] , [52] , [53] ]. Therefore, the government and/or employing organization should provide healthcare workers with essential resources (e.g., masks and hand sanitizers) to protect their families or alternative housing arrangements to prevent transmission.…”