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Qualitative Investigation into the Mental Health of Healthcare Workers in Japan during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the mental health of healthcare workers in many countries including Japan. While many survey-based findings have reported the serious state of their wellbeing among healthcare workers, the first-hand experience of the mental health and coping in this population remains to be evaluated. Accordingly, this study aimed to appraise them using constructionist thematic analysis on semi-structured interviews attended by a purposive and snowball sample of 24 healthcare workers in Japan conducted in December 2020-January 2021. Four themes were identified: (1) increased stress and loneliness, (2) reduced coping strategies, (3) communication and acknowledgement as a mental health resource, and (4) understanding of self-care. Participants noted that the characteristics of Japanese work culture such as long hours, collectivism and hatarakigai (i.e., meaning in work) to explain these themes. These findings suggest that robust support at an organizational and individual level, capturing intrinsic values, are particularly important for this key workforce to cope with increased stress and loneliness, leading to better patient care.

SUBMITTER: Kotera Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8744919 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Qualitative Investigation into the Mental Health of Healthcare Workers in Japan during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Kotera Yasuhiro Y Ozaki Akihiko A Miyatake Hirotomo H Tsunetoshi Chie C Nishikawa Yoshitaka Y Kosaka Makoto M Tanimoto Tetsuya T

International journal of environmental research and public health 20220105 1

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the mental health of healthcare workers in many countries including Japan. While many survey-based findings have reported the serious state of their wellbeing among healthcare workers, the first-hand experience of the mental health and coping in this population remains to be evaluated. Accordingly, this study aimed to appraise them using constructionist thematic analysis on semi-structured interviews attended by a purposive and snowball sample of 24 ...[more]

PMID: 35010828

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Project description:ObjectivesThis study aimed to measure the prevalence of burnout syndrome, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic disorders (PTSD), as well as examine their associated factors among Thai healthcare workers (HCWs) during COVID-19 outbreak.MethodWe employed a multiple-method design at a tertiary-care hospital in Bangkok between May 22, 2021 and June 30, 2021 by using an online survey. The information included demographic characteristics, work details, perceived support, PTSD symptoms, Maslach Burnout Inventory: General Survey (MBI-GS), General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2 and PHQ-9), and narrative response to an open-ended question. The associated factors of mental health problems were analysed by multiple logistic regression analyses. The qualitative data were analysed by the content analysis method.ResultsA total of 986 HCWs (89.1% female; mean age = 34.89 ± 11.05 years) responded to the survey. 16.3%,16%, and 53.5% of respondents had a high level of emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and diminished personal achievement, respectively. 33.1%, 13.8%, and 2.3% of respondents had anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Risk factors of emotional exhaustion were male sex (ORadj = 2.29), nurses (ORadj = 3.04), doctors (ORadj = 4.29), working at COVID-19 inpatient unit (ORadj = 2.97), and working at COVID-19 intensive care unit (ORadj = 3.00). Additionally, preexisting mental illness was associated with anxiety (ORadj = 2.89), depression (ORadj = 3.47), and PTSD (ORadj = 4.06). From qualitative analysis, participants reported that these factors would improve their mental health: supportive and respectful colleagues, appropriate financial compensation, reduced workload, clarity of policy and communication channel, and adequate personal protective equipment.ConclusionsThai HCWs experienced negative mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic substantially. This issue needs attention and actions should be implemented to support them.

Project description:IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the working conditions and mental health of healthcare workers (HCWs) across the globe. Little is understood of the factors influencing the mental health of HCWs in low-and middle-income countries like Ghana, which faced significant challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic due to their overburdened healthcare systems. Our study qualitatively examined the multilevel factors influencing HCWs' mental health in response to the pandemic in Ghana, as well as coping strategies.MethodsUtilizing an exploratory, descriptive qualitative research design, we purposively sampled and interviewed HCWs (n = 26) and administrators (n = 3) across 13 regions in Ghana from our parent study (N = 646) between November 2020 and February 2021. Semi-structured interviews explored pandemic preparedness, experiences responding to the pandemic, the impact of the pandemic on life, work, quality of care, and mental health; challenges and facilitators of the COVID-19 response; and coping strategies. Transcripts were coded through a group-based collaborative approach in the Dedoose software and analyzed thematically guided by the socio-ecological framework.ResultsHCWs reported experiencing fear, anxiety, stress, and depression due to the COVID-19 pandemic and cited several individual, interpersonal, institutional, and societal factors that adversely impacted their mental health. Individual-level factors included low knowledge of COVID-19 risk and sequelae and contraction of COVID-19. Interpersonal factors included being a parent/caregiver, risk posed to family/household as frontline workers, and social isolation. Institutional factors included inadequate health system capacity (i.e., low staffing capacity) and pandemic preparedness (i.e., inadequate COVID-19 training), and frontline working conditions (i.e., long work hours; higher COVID-19 infection risk). Societal factors were COVID-19-related stigma against HCWs, COVID-19 social conspiracies, and sociocultural beliefs about mental health in Ghana. Despite the negative impact of the pandemic on HCWs' lives, most reported not receiving adequate support from their workplace or the government to mitigate mental health distress. However, HCWs identified several protective factors and coping strategies, including prayer/spirituality, spiritual and emotional support from family and colleagues, and, although limited, work-based or government incentives and appreciation.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted the mental health of HCWs in Ghana, who have inadequate resources to address these distresses. Investing in healthcare infrastructure, including expanding workforce and facility capacity and providing workplace mental health wellness services, can help mitigate the mental health impact of health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic on the healthcare workforce and subsequently maximize the capacity of the health system to respond to future pandemics.

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Project description:The COVID-19 crisis has caused prolonged and extreme demands on healthcare services. This study investigates the types and prevalence of occupational disruptions, and associated symptoms of mental illness, among Australian frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. A national cross-sectional online survey was conducted between 27 August and 23 October 2020. Frontline healthcare workers were invited to participate via dissemination from major health organisations, professional associations or colleges, universities, government contacts, and national media. Data were collected on demographics, home and work situations, and validated scales of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and burnout. Complete responses were received from 7846 healthcare workers (82.4%). Most respondents were female (80.9%) and resided in the Australian state of Victoria (85.2%). Changes to working conditions were common, with 48.5% reporting altered paid or unpaid hours, and many redeployed (16.8%) or changing work roles (27.3%). Nearly a third (30.8%) had experienced a reduction in household income during the pandemic. Symptoms of mental illness were common, being present in 62.1% of participants. Many respondents felt well supported by their workplaces (68.3%) and believed that workplace communication was timely and useful (74.4%). Participants who felt well supported by their organisation had approximately half the risk of experiencing moderate to severe anxiety, depression, burnout, and PTSD. Half (50.4%) of respondents indicated a need for additional training in using personal protective equipment and/or caring for patients with COVID-19. Occupational disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic occurred commonly in health organisations and were associated with worse mental health outcomes in the Australian health workforce. Feeling well supported was associated with significantly fewer adverse mental health outcomes. Crisis preparedness focusing on the provision of timely and useful communication and support is essential in current and future crises.

Project description:BackgroundPreliminary country-specific reports suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has a negative impact on the mental health of the healthcare workforce. In this paper, we summarize the protocol of the COVID-19 HEalth caRe wOrkErS (HEROES) study, an ongoing, global initiative, aimed to describe and track longitudinal trajectories of mental health symptoms and disorders among health care workers at different phases of the pandemic across a wide range of countries in Latin America, Europe, Africa, Middle-East, and Asia.MethodsParticipants from various settings, including primary care clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, and mental health facilities, are being enrolled. In 26 countries, we are using a similar study design with harmonized measures to capture data on COVID-19 related exposures and variables of interest during two years of follow-up. Exposures include potential stressors related to working in healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as sociodemographic and clinical factors. Primary outcomes of interest include mental health variables such as psychological distress, depressive symptoms, and posttraumatic stress disorders. Other domains of interest include potentially mediating or moderating influences such as workplace conditions, trust in the government, and the country's income level.ResultsAs of August 2021, ~ 34,000 health workers have been recruited. A general characterization of the recruited samples by sociodemographic and workplace variables is presented. Most participating countries have identified several health facilities where they can identify denominators and attain acceptable response rates. Of the 26 countries, 22 are collecting data and 2 plan to start shortly.ConclusionsThis is one of the most extensive global studies on the mental health of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a variety of countries with diverse economic realities and different levels of severity of pandemic and management. Moreover, unlike most previous studies, we included workers (clinical and non-clinical staff) in a wide range of settings.

Dataset Information

Qualitative Investigation into the Mental Health of Healthcare Workers in Japan during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

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Qualitative Investigation into the Mental Health of Healthcare Workers in Japan during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

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