RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on 4378 UK healthcare workers and ancillary staff: initial baseline data from a cohort study collected during the first wave of the pandemic
JF Occupational and Environmental Medicine
JO Occup Environ Med
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 801
OP 808
DO 10.1136/oemed-2020-107276
VO 78
IS 11
A1 Danielle Lamb
A1 Sam Gnanapragasam
A1 Neil Greenberg
A1 Rupa Bhundia
A1 Ewan Carr
A1 Matthew Hotopf
A1 Reza Razavi
A1 Rosalind Raine
A1 Sean Cross
A1 Amy Dewar
A1 Mary Docherty
A1 Sarah Dorrington
A1 Stephani Hatch
A1 Charlotte Wilson-Jones
A1 Daniel Leightley
A1 Ira Madan
A1 Sally Marlow
A1 Isabel McMullen
A1 Anne-Marie Rafferty
A1 Martin Parsons
A1 Catherine Polling
A1 Danai Serfioti
A1 Helen Gaunt
A1 Peter Aitken
A1 Joanna Morris-Bone
A1 Chloe Simela
A1 Veronica French
A1 Rachel Harris
A1 Sharon A M Stevelink
A1 Simon Wessely
YR 2021
UL http://oem.bmj.com/content/78/11/801.abstract
AB Objectives This study reports preliminary findings on the prevalence of, and factors associated with, mental health and well-being outcomes of healthcare workers during the early months (April–June) of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK.Methods Preliminary cross-sectional data were analysed from a cohort study (n=4378). Clinical and non-clinical staff of three London-based NHS Trusts, including acute and mental health Trusts, took part in an online baseline survey. The primary outcome measure used is the presence of probable common mental disorders (CMDs), measured by the General Health Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes are probable anxiety (seven-item Generalised Anxiety Disorder), depression (nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (six-item Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder checklist), suicidal ideation (Clinical Interview Schedule) and alcohol use (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test). Moral injury is measured using the Moray Injury Event Scale.Results Analyses showed substantial levels of probable CMDs (58.9%, 95% CI 58.1 to 60.8) and of PTSD (30.2%, 95% CI 28.1 to 32.5) with lower levels of depression (27.3%, 95% CI 25.3 to 29.4), anxiety (23.2%, 95% CI 21.3 to 25.3) and alcohol misuse (10.5%, 95% CI 9.2 to 11.9). Women, younger staff and nurses tended to have poorer outcomes than other staff, except for alcohol misuse. Higher reported exposure to moral injury (distress resulting from violation of one’s moral code) was strongly associated with increased levels of probable CMDs, anxiety, depression, PTSD symptoms and alcohol misuse.Conclusions Our findings suggest that mental health support for healthcare workers should consider those demographics and occupations at highest risk. Rigorous longitudinal data are needed in order to respond to the potential long-term mental health impacts of the pandemic.Data are available on reasonable request. Data may be available on request to the corresponding author.