Impact of long working hours on depressive symptoms among COVID-19 frontline medical staff: The mediation of job burnout and the moderation of family and organizational support

The impact of increased computer screen time during the COVID-19 pandemic on the occurrence of upper part of musculoskeletal diseases among health personnel

Health personnel who played a key role in the fight against the pandemic stayed during it burdened with increased working time using a computer. We analyzed the impact of increased computer working time during the COVID-19 pandemic on the occurrence of the upper part of musculoskeletal diseases among health personnel. The study group consisted of 418 health personnel, divided according to the time they worked at the computer during the pandemic: up to 2 h a day, from 3 to 5 h a day, and more than 6 h a day. The ICF profile analyzed symptoms of dysfunction of structures of the upper part of the musculoskeletal system (head and cervical spine, shoulder girdle, elbow joint, wrist joint). Employees working more than 6 h daily had a higher risk of developing restrictions in tone of isolated muscles and muscle groups p < 0.001), range of motion of the shoulder girdle (p < 0.001), increased tension of paraspinal muscles (p < 0.001), weakened shoulder girdle muscle strength (p < 0.001), elbow joint pain (p = 0.016), wrist joint pain (p < 0.001), coordination disorders (p = 0.004), difficulties in arm and hand use (p < 0.001), lifting and carrying objects (p = 0.008) and paraesthesia (p < 0.001) compared to those working less than 2 h daily. Additionally, working for 3-5 h and above 6 h compared to health personnel working up to 2 h was associated with a greater risk of headaches and cervical spine pain (p < 0.001), shoulder girdle pain (p < 0.001), limited mobility in the wrist joint (p = 0.003), and tremors (p < 0.001), that working below 2 h. Prolonged computer working time among health personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic is significantly associated with an increased risk of dysfunction and pain in structures of the upper part of the musculoskeletal system. Effective preventive measures are necessary to improve the functioning of the musculoskeletal system during extended periods of computer use.

What would have made work in the COVID-19 ICU less demanding? A qualitative study from 13 Swedish COVID-19 ICUs

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic stretched Swedish intensive care unit (ICU) resources to an extent never experienced before, but even before the pandemic staffing was difficult and the number of staffed ICU beds was low. Studies have revealed high levels of COVID-19 ICU staff burn-out and fatigue, and as similar situations with high demands are likely to occur in the future a better understanding of resources that improve staff resilience is important. Using the job-demand resource theory as a framework, we explored ICU professionals' views on demands and resources when working in COVID-19 ICUs with the aim to highlight factors that increased the job resources.

METHODS

Data were collected via a web survey distributed to COVID-19 ICU professionals, including both regular and temporary roles, working in 13 COVID-19 ICU wards in Stockholm and Sörmland counties during the spring 2021. A total of 251 written responses to the question "What would have made work in the COVID-19 ICU less demanding?" were analyzed using thematic analysis. One year later a member-checking focus group interview was conducted to validate and further explore staff experiences.

RESULTS

The main themes were work strategy, fairness and support, continuity, accessible leadership, introduction/information, and crisis preparedness. The analysis of the focus group conducted confirmed the main results and the extreme demands on ICU staff during the initial stages of the pandemic.

CONCLUSION

To increase staff health and performance in a long-term crisis our results suggest; maintaining workplace leadership, scheduling work in advance and, when possible, schedule for recovery.

Connor Davidson resilience scores, perceived organizational support and workplace violence among emergency nurses

BACKGROUND

Workplace violence can threaten the physical and mental health of emergency nurses, increasing their mobility and burnout rates. However, little research has focused on how to mitigate the negative effects of workplace violence.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the relationships among resilience scores, perceived organizational support, and workplace violence and to explore the mediating role of perceived organizational support in the relationship between resilience scores and workplace violence among emergency nurses.

RESEARCH DESIGN

A quantitative, cross-sectional study.

METHODS

From June to July 2023, 466 valid questionnaires were collected via the WeChat app Credamo Seeing Numbers. Participants were assessed using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the Perceived Organizational Support Scale, and the Fear of Future Violence at Work Scale.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATION

The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Hunan Normal University (No. 2023-389).

FINDINGS

The Connor-Davidson resilience scores of emergency nurses were negatively associated with workplace violence and positively associated with emergency nurses' perceived organizational support. Emergency nurses' perceived organizational support was negatively associated with workplace violence. Perceived organizational support moderated the relationship between Connor-Davidson resilience scores and workplace violence among emergency nurses to some extent.

DISCUSSION

High levels of Connor-Davidson resilience scores can mitigate the negative effects of workplace violence. Perceived organizational support can increase with increasing levels of Connor-Davidson resilience scores. When nurses face workplace violence, support from the organization can, on the one hand, reduce the negative impacts of stress and, on the other hand, elicit positive emotions.

CONCLUSION

To mitigate the effects of workplace violence on emergency nurses, interventions aimed at both internal and external organizational conditions must be developed to establish a supportive environment that can increase emergency nurses' Connor-Davidson resilience scores and sense of perceived organizational support, and decrease workplace violence.

How does working time impact perceived mental disorders? New insights into the U-shaped relationship

Based on a large-scale nationally representative survey in China, this paper uses the exogenous impact of automation on working hours as the instrumental variable to examine working time's impact on perceived mental disorders, on the basis of dealing with endogeneity. Different from existing literature, it is found that the impact of working time on perceived mental disorders is U-shaped, rather than linear. Mental disorders firstly decrease with working hours. After working more than 48.688 h per week, further increases in working time carry notable mental health costs, leading to a positive relationship between working hours and depression. The turning point of this U-shaped relationship is almost in line with the International Labor Organization's 48 working hours/week standard, justifying it from a mental health perspective. In addition, we further exclude the possibility of more complex nonlinear relationships between working time and perceived mental disorders. Furthermore, heterogeneities are found in the effects of working hours on mental disorders across different subgroups. Males are more depressed when working overtime. Older workers have a lower tolerance for overwork stress. The turning point is smaller for the highly educated group and they are more sensitive to working longer. Those with higher socioeconomic status are less depressed after exceeding the optimal hours of work. The increase in depression among rural workers faced with overwork is not prominent. Perceived mental disorders are lower among immigrants and those with higher health status. In addition, labor protection and social security help to weaken mental disorders caused by overtime work. In conclusion, this paper demonstrates that working time has a U-shaped impact on perceived mental disorders and highlights the vulnerability of certain groups, providing a reference for setting optimal working hours from a mental health perspective.

Did the COVID-19 pandemic affect levels of burnout, anxiety and depression among doctors and nurses in Bangladesh? A cross-sectional survey study

INTRODUCTION

COVID-19 has caused severe disruption to clinical services in Bangladesh but the extent of this, and the impact on healthcare professionals is unclear. We aimed to assess the perceived levels of anxiety, depression and burnout among doctors and nurses during COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

We undertook an online survey using RedCap, directed at doctors and nurses across four institutions in Bangladesh (The Sheikh Russel Gastro Liver Institute & Hospital (SRNGIH), Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), Mugda Medical College Hospital (MMCH) and M Abdur Rahim Medical College (MARMC) Hospital). We collected information on demographics, awareness of well-being services, COVID-19-related workload, as well as anxiety, depression and burnout using two validated questionnaires: the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI).

RESULTS

Of the 3000 participants approached, we received responses from 2705 (90.2%). There was a statistically significant difference in anxiety, depression and burnout scores across institutions (p<0.01). Anxiety, depression and burnout scores were statistically worse in COVID-19 active staff compared with those not working on COVID-19 activities (p<0.01 for HADS anxiety and depression and MBI emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalisation (DP) and personal accomplishment (PA)). Over half of the participants exhibited some level of anxiety (SRNGIH: 52.2%; DMCH: 53.9%; MMCH: 61.3%; MARMC: 68%) with a high proportion experiencing depression (SRNGIH: 39.5%; DMCH: 38.7%; MMCH: 53.7%; MARMC: 41.1%). Although mean burnout scores were within the normal range for each institution, a high proportion of staff (almost 20% in some instances) were shown to be classified as experiencing burnout by their EE, DP and PA scores.

CONCLUSION

We identified a high prevalence of perceived anxiety, depression and burnout among doctors and nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was worse in staff engaged in COVID-19-related activities. These findings could help healthcare organisations to plan for future similar events.

Association between long working hours and the development of suicidal ideation among female workers: An 8-year population-based study using the Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women & Family (2012-2020)

Long working hours and overwork have recently emerged as pressing public health concerns. We explored the association between long working hours and suicidal ideation in female workers. A total of 8017 women (24,331 observations) from the fourth to eighth waves of the Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Families (2012-2020) were analyzed. To address the repeated measurements within each participant, we employed a generalized estimating equation to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The prevalence of suicidal ideation was 1.9% for those working 35-40 h/week and 4.4% for those working ≥55 h/week. Compared to individuals working 35-40 h/week, those working ≥55 h/week were more likely to experience concurrent suicidal ideation (OR [95% CI]:1.85 [1.43-2.39]). The OR (95% CI) of the association between long working hours and onset of suicidal ideation in the subsequent wave was 1.69 (1.20-2.38) for ≥55 h/week. In subgroup analysis, this association was pronounced among workers with low-income levels (OR [95% CI]: 1.97 [1.29-3.02]) and blue-collar occupations (OR [95% CI]: 2.27 [1.41-3.66]). Policy efforts are required to protect the mental health of female workers exposed to long working hours.

Relationship between work-family conflict and anxiety/depression among Chinese correctional officers: a moderated mediation model of burnout and resilience

BACKGROUND

Correctional officers tend to have high levels of work-family conflict (WFC). WFC has been found associated with various forms of psychological distress and to affect the overall well-being of correctional officers. Burnout and resilience may affect the relationship between WFC and psychological distress, however, this association still remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the mediating effect of burnout on the relationship between WFC and anxiety/depression and the moderating role of resilience, within the context of correctional officers.

METHODS

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in China from October 2021 to January 2022. WFC, burnout, resilience, anxiety, and depression were evaluated using the Work-Family Conflict Scale (WFCS), Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS), 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS). Mediation and moderation models were then tested using the PROCESS macro in SPSS, with burnout being a mediator and resilience playing a moderating role in the relationship between WFC and anxiety/depression.

RESULTS

A total of 472 correctional officers were included. Burnout was found to mediate the relationship between WFC and anxiety (b = 0.14, 95%CI [0.10, 0.19]) and the relationship between WFC and depression (b = 0.23, 95%CI [0.18, 0.28]). Additionally, resilience played a moderating role in the direct effect of WFC on anxiety (b = - 0.02, p < 0.01) and the first half of the indirect effect of WFC on anxiety (b = - 0.007, p < 0.05). Furthermore, resilience was also found to moderate the first half of the indirect effect of WFC on depression (b = - 0.02, p < 0.01), but not the direct effect of WFC on depression (b = - 0.005, p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The findings of the present study may improve our understanding by elucidating the fundamental mechanisms of the connection between WFC and psychological distress among correctional officers. The results have significant implications for policymakers and individuals, as they suggest that diverse interventions may help promote the mental well-being of correctional officers.

Burnout, emotional distress and sleep quality among Chinese psychiatric healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a follow-up study

Background

Different from the very early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, burnout and chronic mental health problems among health care workers (HCWs) has become a challenge. Research is lacking on the relationship between burnout, stress, emotional distress and sleep quality.

Methods

The Chinese center has been involved in the Cope-Corona project since the second survey (T2). Named after the project, a total of three cross-sectional surveys were distributed: T2 (February 16-20, 2021), T3 (May 10-14, 2022), and T4 (December 20-24, 2022). Burnout, depression, anxiety, sleep quality, workplace factors and individual resources were measured. Using the T4 data, we conducted structural equation model (SEM) to examine the mediating role of burnout in predicting emotional distress and sleep quality.

Results

96, 124, and 270 HCWs were enrolled at T2, T3, and T4, respectively. In line with the epidemic trends, the level of perceived COVID-19 related risks was significantly higher at T4, while the feeling of health and safety decreased significantly. At T4, the percentages of participants with clinically significant levels of depression and anxiety symptoms were 18.9% (51/270) and 9.3% (25/270), respectively, while 30.4% (82/270) of them reported poor or very poor sleep quality. According to the SEM, individual resources and workplace factors mainly had an indirect effect in predicting depression and anxiety via burnout. However, neither burnout nor stress was a mediator or predictor of sleep quality. Instead, individual resources, positive workplace factors, and younger age had a direct effect in predicting good sleep quality.

Conclusion

Measures designed to enhance workplace factors and individual resources should be implemented to improve psychosomatic wellbeing of HCWs.