Have Healthcare Workers Received the Mental Health Support They Needed During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Mental health is an important factor for employers to consider to ensure a productive and stable work environment particularly in the healthcare setting. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative effect on the mental health of employees and the work setting (Villarreal-Zegarra et al., 2022). Increased levels of anxiety, depression, and PTSD were reported by healthcare workers. Have mental health resources improved for healthcare workers as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic? Are the resources that are currently available sufficient? Can we rely on the media to provide us with accurate information on this topic or should we turn to research studies? The news can be a quick fix for information and research can be time consuming and exhausting. However, it is important to recognize fact vs. fiction in the media.
What the Media is Saying
A media report from April 14, 2020 gives a brief overview of the level of stress the pandemic was causing healthcare workers. The country was only about one month into the pandemic when there was still so much uncertainty and unknown. The clip below offers a glimpse into what the country and the healthcare field was experiencing.
This clip reported on the concern that the COVID-19 pandemic could lead to PTSD in healthcare workers. The reporter stressed the importance of mental health resources offered to healthcare workers in response to the pandemic. This media report mentions the proactive movements put into place to decrease the stress level of healthcare workers. Although this media clip provides some hope there isn’t any factual based information provided. A more reliable source would offer research study statistics. However, it is important to note that this media clip was created at the very beginning of the pandemic when there was almost no research data available on whether mental health resources were increased and how effective they were.
Another media report from May 26, 2021 similarly reported the stress healthcare workers experienced due to COVID-19. The short clip posted below gives a brief overview of what mental health resources for healthcare workers look like one year into the pandemic.
This clip reported on a recent study performed at Marquette University that found that anxiety and depression during the pandemic is higher in nurses than the general public. The hospital system was reported to have put an emphasis on offering more resources to help healthcare workers. The information provided was reassuring. However, there was no data provided to support this statement.
A third media report created by The Denver Channel reported that 2 years into the pandemic employers were, “rolling back” on their efforts to provide mental health resources to employees. The clip below cultivates a sense of concern.
The news reporter emphasizes a global survey from Head Space Health that found only 25% of employees said their work still focused on mental health. Could this really be true? How many individuals participated in the survey? Would this news report cause you to feel alarmed about your own work setting? It is easy to watch a 1 minute 30 second video from a seemingly credible news source and take it for factual information.
The Research
A recent research study performed at St. Luke’s Hospital assessed an existing well-being program available for all employees. A total of 212 employees completed anonymous surveys determining levels of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, awareness of mental health resources, and their opinion of effectiveness of those resources (Bucca et al., 2022). It was found that 54% of staff suffered from mild anxiety, over 50% suffered from mild depression and 37% suffered from PTSD due to the COVID-19 pandemics impact on the workplace (Bucca et al., 2022). The results of the survey motivated the hospital to increase the wellness resources they offered for their employees. This is an example of how mental health resources improved in response to the COVID-19 pandemic for healthcare workers.
Another research study performed by Schoultz et al., had a strong focus on how the COVID-19 pandemic effected healthcare workers in nursing homes. Healthcare workers in this setting were negatively impacted by the pandemic due to staff shortages, increased workloads and high percentage of deaths among residents (Schoultz et al., 2022). A training course created by the World Health Organization called Psychological First Aid (PFA) was discussed and how it can be incorporated in these healthcare settings. The PFA program, “aims to reduce initial distress, meet current needs (psychological and physical), promote flexible coping, and encourage adjustment while establishing feelings of safety” (Schoultz et al., 2022, p. 2). A systematic review found that health care workers demonstrated with high anxiety (23.3%), depression (22.8%), and insomnia (38.8%) indicating a need for improved support in the field (Schoultz et al., 2022). A systemic review noted that there was not enough research to prove the efficacy of the PFA program and encouraged more research to be done.
A research study performed by Villarreal-Zegarra et al., aimed to assess policies on mental health in the workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative effect on the mental health and the work setting (Villarreal-Zegarra et al., 2022). A scoping review of articles that analyze mental health policies during the pandemic in the work setting was performed. Out of 6522 articles analyzed only 4 studies were included in the review (Villarreal-Zegarra et al., 2022). Overall, the research available on improved or increased mental health policies in the work setting as a result of the pandemic are limited (Villarreal-Zegarra et al., 2022).
A fourth research study performed by Brooks et al., analyzed the effects of Employee Assistance Programs and if employees used them. The purpose of EAP programs is to support employee mental health while also supporting the employer with results of improved productivity (Brooks et al., 2020). Both national and regional survey data collected from employee surveys was analyzed in order to determine if employees were using EAP benefits to assist with their mental health (Brooks et al., 2020). Brooks et al., collected data from secondary sources of public and private organizations consisting of employee surveys. The findings of the study determined that there was a low percentage of employees using the EAP services provided. However, it was discovered that health care professionals were more likely to use EAP services than other professions (Brooks et al., 2020). Brooks et al., reported that employers have enhanced EAP benefit options due to the growing need for mental health care as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, the study findings suggested that more research on employer EAP programs is necessary to better determine if they are effectively being used.
What do all of these research studies have in common? They were all written by healthcare professionals who supported their findings with research data. The articles they have written are peer reviewed and were retrieved from EBSCOhost database. Overall, the research is lacking when it comes to the availability and effectiveness of mental health resources for healthcare workers. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a learning curve for both employers and healthcare workers. Continued research on well-being programs and how they impact healthcare workers is important and necessary.
The Facts
In conclusion, there is a common understanding by both the media and the researchers that the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on healthcare workers mental health. Initially the media reported on the increased efforts by employers to support the mental health of healthcare workers. Two years into the pandemic the media depicted a doomed future for the mental health of healthcare workers by stating resources would decrease. According to the information obtained from the research articles there was no indication that there would be a reduction in employer efforts to sustain the mental health of healthcare workers. What remains unclear is whether well-being programs offered are recognized and used by employees and the impact they have on their mental health. The bottom line is that more research needs to be performed. It is up to employers and employees to advocate for mental health resources and participate in research studies to better understand if they are helping. It is important to recognize that the media often twists information to make for a better story. When looking for reliable information stick to peer reviewed, scientific research articles.
References
Brooks, C. Darren, and Jeff Ling. “Are we doing enough”: An evaluation of the utilization of employee assistance programs to support the mental health needs of employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Journal of Insurance Regulation, vol. 39, no. 8, 2020, pp. 1–34., https://doi.org/10.52227/23478.2020.
Bucca, Anthony, et al. “Unmasking the Truth of Health Care Workers’ Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Critical Care Nurse, vol. 42, no. 4, 2022, pp. 20–26., https://doi.org/10.4037/ccn2022769.
Schoultz, Mariyana, et al. “Psychological First Aid for Workers in Care and Nursing Homes: Systematic Review.” BMC Nursing, vol. 21, no. 1, 26 Apr. 2022, pp. 1–6., https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-022-00866-6.
Villarreal-Zegarra, D., Reategui-Rivera, C. M., Sabastizagal-Vela, I., Burgos-Flores, M. A., Cama-Ttito, N. A., & Rosales-Rimache, J. (n.d.). Policies on mental health in the workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review. PLOS ONE, 17(7). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0272296