Activities per year
Abstract
Background
Throughout the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, health and social care workers have faced unprecedented professional demands, all of which are likely to have placed considerable strain on their psychological well-being.
Aims
To measure the national prevalence of mental health symptoms within healthcare staff, and identify individual and organisational predictors of well-being.
Method
The COVID-19 Staff Wellbeing Survey is a longitudinal online survey of psychological well-being among health and social care staff in Northern Ireland. The survey included four time points separated by 3-month intervals; time 1 (November 2020; n = 3834) and time 2 (February 2021; n = 2898) results are presented here. At time 2, 84% of respondents had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The survey included four validated psychological well-being questionnaires (depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress and insomnia), as well as demographic and organisational measures.
Results
At time 1 and 2, a high proportion of staff reported moderate-to-severe symptoms of depression (30–36%), anxiety (26–27%), post-traumatic stress (30–32%) and insomnia (27–28%); overall, significance tests and effect size data suggested psychological well-being was generally stable between November 2020 and February 2021 for health and social care staff. Multiple linear regression models indicated that perceptions of less effective communication within their organisation predicted greater levels of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress and insomnia.
Conclusions
This study highlights the need to offer psychological support to all health and social care staff, and to communicate with staff regularly, frequently and clearly regarding COVID-19 to help protect staff psychological well-being.
Throughout the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, health and social care workers have faced unprecedented professional demands, all of which are likely to have placed considerable strain on their psychological well-being.
Aims
To measure the national prevalence of mental health symptoms within healthcare staff, and identify individual and organisational predictors of well-being.
Method
The COVID-19 Staff Wellbeing Survey is a longitudinal online survey of psychological well-being among health and social care staff in Northern Ireland. The survey included four time points separated by 3-month intervals; time 1 (November 2020; n = 3834) and time 2 (February 2021; n = 2898) results are presented here. At time 2, 84% of respondents had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The survey included four validated psychological well-being questionnaires (depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress and insomnia), as well as demographic and organisational measures.
Results
At time 1 and 2, a high proportion of staff reported moderate-to-severe symptoms of depression (30–36%), anxiety (26–27%), post-traumatic stress (30–32%) and insomnia (27–28%); overall, significance tests and effect size data suggested psychological well-being was generally stable between November 2020 and February 2021 for health and social care staff. Multiple linear regression models indicated that perceptions of less effective communication within their organisation predicted greater levels of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress and insomnia.
Conclusions
This study highlights the need to offer psychological support to all health and social care staff, and to communicate with staff regularly, frequently and clearly regarding COVID-19 to help protect staff psychological well-being.
Original language | English |
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Article number | e159 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | British Journal of Psychiatry Open |
Volume | 7 |
Issue number | 5 |
Early online date | 31 Aug 2021 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 01 Sept 2021 |
Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Keywords
- Anxiety disorders
- community mental health teams
- depressive disorders
- post-traumatic stress disorder
- sleep disorders
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
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Dive into the research topics of 'COVID-19 Staff Wellbeing Survey: longitudinal survey of psychological well-being among health and social care staff in Northern Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Activities
- 3 Membership of external research organisation
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Department of Health - Health and Emotional Wellbeing Silver Cell (External organisation)
Dyer, K. (Member)
01 Apr 2020 → 28 Feb 2021Activity: Membership types › Membership of external research organisation
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IMPACT Research Centre (External organisation)
Dyer, K. (Member)
01 Mar 2019Activity: Membership types › Membership of external research organisation
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Northern HSC Trust Psychological Therapies Research Workstream (External organisation)
Dyer, K. (Chair)
01 May 2013 → 31 Jul 2024Activity: Membership types › Membership of external research organisation