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 Lamb, Danielle
A1 Gnanapragasam, Sam
A1 Greenberg, Neil
A1 Bhundia, Rupa
A1 Carr, Ewan
A1 Hotopf, Matthew
A1 Razavi, Reza
A1 Raine, Rosalind
A1 Cross, Sean
A1 Dewar, Amy
A1 Docherty, Mary
A1 Dorrington, Sarah
A1 Hatch, Stephani
A1 Wilson-Jones, Charlotte
A1 Leightley, Daniel
A1 Madan, Ira
A1 Marlow, Sally
A1 McMullen, Isabel
A1 Rafferty, Anne-Marie
A1 Parsons, Martin
A1 Polling, Catherine
A1 Serfioti, Danai
A1 Gaunt, Helen
A1 Aitken, Peter
A1 Morris-Bone, Joanna
A1 Simela, Chloe
A1 French, Veronica
A1 Harris, Rachel
A1 Stevelink, Sharon A M
A1 Wessely, Simon
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.