ENACTstudy: What has helped health and social care workers maintain their mental well‐being during theCOVID‐19 pandemic?

Abstract

A growing body of research has highlighted the adverse impact of COVID-19 stressors on health and social care workers' (HSCWs) mental health. Complementing this work, we report on the psychosocial factors that have had both a positive and negative impact on the mental well-being of HSCWs during the third lockdown period in Scotland. Using a cross-sectional design, participants (n = 1364) completed an online survey providing quantitative data and free open-text responses. A multi-method approach to analysis was used. The majority of HSCWs were found to have low wellbeing scores, high levels of COVID-19 stress, worry, burnout and risk perception scores and almost half of HSCWs met the clinical cut-off for acute stress (indicative of PTSD). HSCWs with higher scores on adaptive coping strategies and team resilience reported higher scores on mental well-being. HSCWs were significantly more likely to seek informal support for dealing with personal or emotional problems compared to formal supports. Barriers to formal help-seeking were identified including stigma and fear of the consequences of disclosure. HSCWs mostly valued peer support, workplace supports, visible leadership and teamwork in maintaining their mental well-being. Our findings illuminate the complexity of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on HSCWs' well-being and will inform future intervention development seeking to increase positive adaptation and improve staff well-being. Addressing barriers to mental health help-seeking among HSCWs is essential. The implications emphasise the importance of lessons learned across health and social care contexts, planning and preparedness for future pandemics.

Time for You: A process evaluation of the rapid implementation of a multi-level mental health support intervention for frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…These findings are seen across the globe, including Canada [16], the United Kingdom [UK; 17], China [18], Singapore [19], Turkey [20] the United States of America (USA) [21], and elsewhere [22]. Particularly relevant to the current study are reports of increased symptomatology among healthcare workers [e.g., 19,[23][24][25][26][27][28] including those working within the Scottish context [29]. The experience of mental health difficulties among healthcare workers is particularly concerning at a time when society most needs their support and when healthcare workers are reluctant to seek professional help [28,29].…”

“…Particularly relevant to the current study are reports of increased symptomatology among healthcare workers [e.g., 19,[23][24][25][26][27][28] including those working within the Scottish context [29]. The experience of mental health difficulties among healthcare workers is particularly concerning at a time when society most needs their support and when healthcare workers are reluctant to seek professional help [28,29]. There is therefore a strong argument to make interventions available that are suitable to the healthcare worker population in the context of the pandemic [30].…”

Risk and protection factors of mental stress among medical staff in the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic

“…In their literature review, Labrague et al (23) summarized that positive coping strategies decrease, whereas negative coping strategies increase levels of mental health problems. Additionally, adaptive coping mechanisms were found to influence the well-being of Scottish health care workers also during the further course of the pandemic (25).…”

Health and social care professionals' experience of psychological safety within their occupational setting: a systematic thematic synthesis protocol

“…The wellbeing of professionals in health and social care settings is vital as it is critical to offering patients safe care (Cogan et al, 2022;Kessel et al, 2012;Lele et al, 2023). Health and social care professionals such as doctors and residential child support workers work in what can be considered a physically and mentally demanding setting (Isobel & Thomas, 2021;Purdy & Antle, 2021).…”