Mu S, O'Driscoll DM, Ogeil RP, Young AC. Effect of shift work on frontline doctors' mood and sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sleep Biol Rhythms 2022;
20:601-604. [PMID:
35915639 PMCID:
PMC9328776 DOI:
10.1007/s41105-022-00407-3]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Purpose
Shift work has detrimental effects on healthcare workers, which may be further compounded by frontline work during the COVID-19 pandemic. We postulated that sleep would worsen and distress would increase during COVID-ward service.
Methods
Doctors (n = 18) were recruited from a tertiary centre during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Melbourne, Australia. Participants had been rostered ON to consecutive 7 day or night shifts and a week OFF over a fortnight. 9 worked on COVID wards managing positive/suspected COVID patients, and 9 were allocated to general MEDICAL wards. Participants wore wrist actigraphy, and completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) at baseline and the end of each week.
Results
Both the COVID and MEDICAL groups spent less time in bed and had reduced total sleep time during their week ON shift compared to week OFF shift. The COVID group had worse sleep quality (PSQI Δ + 1.0, 6.8 vs 5.8, p = 0.036), daytime sleepiness (ESS Δ + 2.6, 8 vs 5.4, p = 0.014) and greater distress (K10 Δ + 1.7, 17 vs 15.3, p = 0.002) during their week ON compared to BASELINE.
Conclusion
During the COVID-19 pandemic shift workers had poorer sleep during their week ON. Those working on COVID wards had greater distress during their week ON than those working on general MEDICAL wards. It is important to recognise the potential for sleep deficits and greater distress in medical workers during the pandemic.
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