The Role of Coping in the Wellbeing and Work-Related Quality of Life of UK Health and Social Care Workers during COVID-19

Madrasa student's health-related quality of life and its associated factors: a cross-sectional study from Bangladesh

The evidence clearly shows that education greatly impacts people's well-being. Bangladesh has two main education systems-general and traditional religious schooling. The current study aimed to measure the quality of life of madrasa students and find out the factors influencing it. This was a cross-sectional study on a group of madrasa students in the Mirpur area of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Data were collected using two-stage stratified random sampling between April and May 2022. The final sample size was 373. The health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was calculated using the KIDSCREEN-10 index, and the median split was used to categorize the score into 'good' and 'poor' categories. A p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant for all statistical tests. Among the participants, most (56%) reported having a good HRQoL. The median age (IQR) of the participants was 10.0 (8.0-12.0) years. Most of the participants were male (91%) and were not orphans (95%). The current study also found that a higher feeling of safety (AOR 3.7; 95% CI 1.3-10.4; p = 0.016) increased the odds of having good HRQoL. However, having a present illness decreased the odds (AOR 0.6; 95% CI 0.4-0.9; p = 0.10) of having a good HRQoL. The key results show that the majority reported a good HRQoL. Promoting students' physical, mental, and social well-being through health education, anti-bullying initiatives, regular school health screening, and institutional & community involvement can help to improve the overall HRQoL of madrasa students.

The influence of sociodemographic and health-related factors, clinical education status, and sleep quality on work-related quality of life among dental students

INTRODUCTION

With the premise that the demanding educational process and associated factors could influence the work-related quality of life (WRQoL) of dental students, this study aimed to investigate the influence of diverse sociodemographic and health-related factors, clinical education status, and sleep quality on the WRQoL of dental students.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A three-part questionnaire was administered to a group of preclinical and clinical dental students studying in different classes. The first part of the questionnaire included various sociodemographic and health-related questions. In the second part, the multidimensional 23-item WRQoL scale, with established validity and reliability, was applied to evaluate the WRQoL of the students. The last part of the questionnaire included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, comprising 19 items. General linear models were created to predict subscale scores using sociodemographic and health-related characteristics, as well as univariate significant independent variables.

RESULTS

It was observed that the majority of the participants (78.2%) had poor sleep quality. Being clinical dental students had a significant and positive effect on the stress at work domain of WRQoL (p = .006), while it had a significant and negative effect on the home-work interface domain (p < .001). The decrease in sleep quality had a significant and negative effect on all domains of WRQoL (p < .05) except for the stress at work domain.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical education status, regular smoking, and sleep quality significantly affect different domains of dental students' WRQoL. Changes in these factors should be considered in approaches to increasing students' WRQoL.

Care Under Pressure 2: a realist synthesis of causes and interventions to mitigate psychological ill health in nurses, midwives and paramedics

BACKGROUND

Nurses, midwives and paramedics comprise over half of the clinical workforce in the UK National Health Service and have some of the highest prevalence of psychological ill health. This study explored why psychological ill health is a growing problem and how we might change this.

METHODS

A realist synthesis involved iterative searches within MEDLINE, CINAHL and HMIC, and supplementary handsearching and expert solicitation. We used reverse chronological quota screening and appraisal journalling to analyse each source and refine our initial programme theory. A stakeholder group comprising nurses, midwives, paramedics, patient and public representatives, educators, managers and policy makers contributed throughout.

RESULTS

Following initial theory development from 8 key reports, 159 sources were included. We identified 26 context-mechanism-outcome configurations, with 16 explaining the causes of psychological ill health and 10 explaining why interventions have not worked to mitigate psychological ill health. These were synthesised to five key findings: (1) it is difficult to promote staff psychological wellness where there is a blame culture; (2) the needs of the system often over-ride staff psychological well-being at work; (3) there are unintended personal costs of upholding and implementing values at work; (4) interventions are fragmented, individual-focused and insufficiently recognise cumulative chronic stressors; and (5) it is challenging to design, identify and implement interventions.

CONCLUSIONS

Our final programme theory argues the need for healthcare organisations to rebalance the working environment to enable healthcare professionals to recover and thrive. This requires high standards for patient care to be balanced with high standards for staff psychological well-being; professional accountability to be balanced with having a listening, learning culture; reactive responsive interventions to be balanced by having proactive preventative interventions; and the individual focus balanced by an organisational focus.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42020172420.

Compassion fatigue in palliative care: Exploring Its comprehensive impact on geriatric nursing well-being and care quality in end-of-life

BACKGROUND

This study examines the experiences of geriatric nurses in palliative care. It aims to understand how these experiences influence their well-being and the quality of care.

METHODS

Conducted in the Alahsa region of Saudi Arabia, the study employs qualitative methods, utilizing in-depth interviews with 12 geriatric nurses. The analysis employs a thematic approach, enriched by iterative reflections within a multidisciplinary research team.

RESULTS

The analysis reveals main themes: 1) the deep emotional connections between nurses and their patients; 2) the challenges faced, including compassion fatigue, high patient mortality, and communication hurdles; 3) the impact of these challenges on the quality of care, highlighting issues like diminished empathy; 4) the coping strategies used by nurses, such as self-care practices and continuous education.

CONCLUSIONS

The study concludes that coping strategies, including self-care and ongoing professional development, are vital for sustaining the nurses' well-being and ensuring the continued provision of high-quality care to Older Adults patients.

The Effect of Psychological Flexibility on Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Multiple Mediation Role of Mindfulness and Coping

The COVID-19 pandemic involved a complex set of stressors affecting the health and well-being of the population. The understanding of the psychological processes that influence well-being in response to the pandemic and their interrelation is vital. A promising process in understanding the emotional impacts of these stressors is psychological flexibility. This study investigated the effect of psychological flexibility on well-being, both directly and indirectly, via mindfulness and coping strategies. A total of 334 Portuguese adults participated in this cross-sectional study. Participants were asked to complete an online questionnaire, including measures of psychological flexibility, well-being, mindfulness, and coping strategies. A multiple mediation model studied whether there are conditional indirect effects of mindfulness and coping strategies on well-being. The results showed statistically significant correlations between psychological flexibility, well-being, mindfulness, and coping strategies. Furthermore, we found that mindfulness and coping strategies partly mediate the relationship between psychological flexibility and well-being. Understanding the processes through which psychological flexibility influences well-being in a stressful context is important in comprehending the processes involved in an emotional reaction to a pandemic-like societal event. Mindfulness and coping are shown to be important processes to consider in understanding this phenomenon and designing future responses.

Empathy and Coping Strategies Predict Quality of Life in Japanese Healthcare Professionals

Burnout and secondary traumatic stress (STS), also referred to as compassion fatigue, are undeniable negative consequences experienced by healthcare professionals when working with patients. As frontline healthcare professionals are essential to communities, it is crucial to understand their mental health and how they cope with negative psychological responses. This study investigated the relationships between burnout, STS, compassion satisfaction, dispositional empathy, and stress management among Japanese healthcare professionals and students taking care of patients in clinical practice. The participants were 506 Japanese healthcare professionals and students (doctors, nurses, medical students, and nursing students) affiliated with Japanese Ministry of Defense Hospitals. The data were collected from March 2020 to May 2021. We assessed burnout, STS, and compassion satisfaction using the Professional Quality of Life Scale, dispositional empathy using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, and coping with stress using the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (Brief-COPE). Exploratory factor analysis of the Brief-COPE yielded three factors: active coping; support-seeking; and indirect coping. Personal distress, a self-oriented emotional empathy index, was related to higher burnout and STS scores and lower compassion satisfaction. Empathic concern, an other-oriented emotional empathy index, was associated with lower burnout and higher compassion satisfaction. Active coping strategies were associated with lower burnout and higher compassion satisfaction, whereas indirect coping strategies were associated with higher burnout and STS scores. In a comparison of empathy in professional categories, nurses presented higher personal distress than nursing students, and medical doctors showed lower fantasy tendencies than medical students. These results imply the complex relationships between empathy, coping strategies, and psychological responses among healthcare professionals. Further longitudinal study is needed to explore these complex relationships and to develop more precise and effective psycho-educational interventions to prevent burnout and STS.

Causes and solutions to workplace psychological ill-health for nurses, midwives and paramedics: the Care Under Pressure 2 realist review

Background

Nurses, midwives and paramedics are the largest collective group of clinical staff in the National Health Service and have some of the highest prevalence of psychological ill-health. Existing literature tends to be profession-specific and focused on individual interventions that place responsibility for good psychological health with nurses, midwives and paramedics themselves.

Aim

To improve understanding of how, why and in what contexts nurses, midwives and paramedics experience work-related psychological ill-health; and determine which high-quality interventions can be implemented to minimise psychological ill-health in these professions.

Methods

Realist synthesis methodology consistent with realist and meta-narrative evidence syntheses: evolving standards' reporting guidelines.

Data sources

First round database searching in Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online Database ALL (via Ovid), cumulative index to nursing and allied health literature database (via EBSCO) and health management information consortium database (via Ovid), was undertaken between February and March 2021, followed by supplementary searching strategies (e.g. hand searching, expert solicitation of key papers). Reverse chronology screening was applied, aimed at retaining 30 relevant papers in each profession. Round two database searches (December 2021) targeted COVID-19-specific literature and literature reviews. No date limits were applied.

Results

We built on seven key reports and included 75 papers in the first round (26 nursing, 26 midwifery, 23 paramedic) plus 44 expert solicitation papers, 29 literature reviews and 49 COVID-19 focused articles in the second round. Through the realist synthesis we surfaced 14 key tensions in the literature and identified five key findings, supported by 26 context mechanism and outcome configurations. The key findings identified the following: (1) interventions are fragmented, individual-focused and insufficiently recognise cumulative chronic stressors; (2) it is difficult to promote staff psychological wellness where there is a blame culture; (3) the needs of the system often override staff well-being at work ('serve and sacrifice'); (4) there are unintended personal costs of upholding and implementing values at work; and (5) it is challenging to design, identify and implement interventions to work optimally for diverse staff groups with diverse and interacting stressors.

Conclusions

Our realist synthesis strongly suggests the need to improve the systemic working conditions and the working lives of nurses, midwives and paramedics to improve their psychological well-being. Individual, one-off psychological interventions are unlikely to succeed alone. Psychological ill-health is highly prevalent in these staff groups (and can be chronic and cumulative as well as acute) and should be anticipated and prepared for, indeed normalised and expected. Healthcare organisations need to (1) rebalance the working environment to enable healthcare professionals to recover and thrive; (2) invest in multi-level system approaches to promote staff psychological well-being; and use an organisational diagnostic framework, such as the NHS England and NHS Improvement Health and Wellbeing framework, to self-assess and implement a systems approach to staff well-being.

Future work

Future research should implement, refine and evaluate systemic interventional strategies. Interventions and evaluations should be co-designed with front-line staff and staff experts by experience, and tailored where possible to local, organisational and workforce needs.

Limitations

The literature was not equivalent in size and quality across the three professions and we did not carry out citation searches using hand searching and stakeholder/expert suggestions to augment our sample.

Study registration

This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42020172420. Available from: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42020172420.

Funding

This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health and Social Care Delivery Research programme (NIHR award ref: NIHR129528) and is published in full in Health and Social Care Delivery Research; Vol. 12, No. 9. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

COVID-19: Experiences of Social Workers Supporting Older Adults With Dementia in Nigeria

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous public health protocols were instituted by government agencies to safeguard individuals with dementia, their family caregivers, and formal care providers. While these preventive measures were implemented with good intentions, they inadvertently imposed significant challenges on medical social workers in Nigeria. This paper explored the experiences of medical social workers caring for people with dementia during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. Twenty-six medical social workers from 6 government hospitals in Southwestern Nigeria participated in an in-depth interview. The research reveals 3 pivotal aspects: Firstly, the escalating demands within the work environment, where medical social workers grapple with the intricate task of conveying sensitive information about dementia diagnosis and COVID-19 prevention protocol, managing expectations regarding dementia diagnoses, and navigating resource constraints for individuals with dementia during the pandemic. Secondly, discernible impacts on the work climate and interprofessional relationships shed light on the challenges these professionals face in collaborating with other healthcare providers. Lastly, the reverberations on social workers' personal lives underscore the pandemic's toll on their well-being. Thus, the findings underscore the need for proactive measures to equip medical social workers to face the distinctive challenges in dementia care during future pandemics. Recognizing the potential resurgence of global health crises, the research highlights the need for strategic preparedness to mitigate the impact of future pandemics on the well-being of individuals with dementia and the professionals dedicated to their care.

Headache-related clinical features in teleworkers and their association with coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objectives

The objectives were (1) to describe and compare headache-related clinical features between teleworkers with migraine and those with tension-type headache (TTH) and (2) to determine the association between coping strategies and headache frequency, and intensity in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

This cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 284 teleworkers (127 with migraine and 157 with TTH). Sociodemographic data, information related to work factors, headache clinical features, coping strategies used during the COVID-19 pandemic, and headache-related clinical features were compared between headache profiles. Bivariate logistic regression analyses were used to determine the association between coping strategies and headache frequency, and intensity.

Results

Results showed that teleworkers with migraine had longer and more painful headache episodes than teleworkers with TTH (ps < 0.001). Higher migraine frequency was associated with the use of the denial coping strategy (p = 0.006) while lower migraine intensity was associated with planning (p = 0.046) and the use of positive reframing (p = 0.025). Higher TTH frequency was associated with the use of venting, self-blame, and behavioral disengagement (ps < 0.007) while higher TTH intensity was associated with substance use and behavioral disengagement (ps < 0.030). All associations remained significant after adjusting for BMI as a covariate.

Discussion/conclusion

Teleworkers with migraine had more intense and longer headache episodes than teleworkers with TTH. This could be explained by the fact that a greater proportion of individuals suffering from migraine experienced headaches prior to the beginning of the pandemic compared with teleworkers suffering from TTH. Regarding coping strategies, both primary headache profiles were associated with different types of coping strategies. Most of the coping strategies associated with headache frequency or intensity were maladaptive except for planning and positive reframing that were found to be inversely associated with migraine intensity.

Give until It Hurts: An Exploratory Analysis of Mental Health Workers' Wellness

BACKGROUND

The well-being of mental health professionals has been of growing concern due to the increasing rates of reported stress and burnout. Previous research suggests that the quality of life for mental health workers (MHWs) is at an increased risk due to clinical load, salary concerns, and lack of time for self-care activities outside of work. There is a lack of research regarding the wellness of MHWs (i.e., psychology graduate students, academic faculty, psychiatrists, and mental health counselors) and its relation to the workplace environment. This study examined job-related factors that impacted participants' social, emotional, and professional well-being.

METHODS

Participants were recruited via professional organization listservs and answered questions about their psychological health (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 and Patient Health Questionnaire-9), support systems (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support), and three qualitative questions about what they enjoy or find challenging about their work and any barriers to engaging in self-care activities.

RESULTS

An inductive qualitative analysis of the qualitative questions and descriptive statistics are presented to provide context for their qualitative responses.

CONCLUSIONS

Institutions can better support their workers by creating outlets to teach their staff self-care strategies and practice these strategies at work.

Can Vitality and Mental Health Influence Upper Extremity Pain? A Prospective Cohort Study of 1185 Female Hospital Nurses

Musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremity are among the most common occupational problems affecting nurses. The aim of this study was to analyze the prospective association between vitality and mental health and increased upper extremity pain intensity in female hospital nurses during a 1-year follow-up. A prospective cohort of 1185 female nurses from 19 hospitals in Denmark was conducted using baseline and 12-month follow-up questionnaires to identify potential associations between levels of vitality and mental health (SF-36 subscales) with pain intensity (0-10 scale) in the shoulder, elbow and hand/wrist regions. Associations were modeled using cumulative logistic regression. The fully adjusted model included the variables of age, baseline pain, body mass index, smoking status, years of occupation, leisure time physical activity level, number of daily patient transfers/handlings, as well as recognition and influence at work. The mean age was 48.3 (SD: 10.4) years. In the fully adjusted model, significant associations between low vitality levels and the odds of shoulder pain (OR = 1.96; 95%CI: 1.43-2.68) and hand/wrist pain (OR = 2.32; 95%CI: 1.58-3.42) were observed. Likewise, moderate levels of mental health was associated with increased odds of shoulder pain at follow-up (OR = 1.50; 95%CI: 1.16-1.93). These results provide an important incentive for nursing managers to assess vitality and mental health among hospital nurses and to consider this factor in prevention strategies to ensure good worker health and, by extension, high-quality care.

Key predictors of psychological distress and wellbeing in Australian frontline healthcare workers during COVID-19 (Omicron wave)

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant challenges for frontline healthcare workers' (FHW), raising many mental health and wellbeing concerns for this cohort. To facilitate identification of risk and protective factors to inform treatment and interventions, this study investigated key predictors of psychological distress and subjective wellbeing in FHWs.

Methods

During the Omicron wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (January 2022), Victorian (Australia) doctors, nurses, allied health and non-medical staff from Emergency Departments, Intensive Care units, Aged Care, Hospital In The Home, and COVID Wards completed a cross-sectional survey consisting of the Kessler 6 item (Psychological Distress), Personal Wellbeing Index (Subjective Wellbeing), Coronavirus Health Impact Survey tool (COVID-19 related factors) and occupational factors. Multivariable linear regressions were used to evaluate unadjusted and adjusted associations. Relative weight analysis was used to compare and identify key predictors.

Results

Out of 167 participants, 18.1% screened positive for a probable mental illness and a further 15.3% screened positive for low wellbeing. Key risk factors for greater psychological distress included COVID infection worries, relationship stress and younger age. For both psychological distress and lower wellbeing, health status and supervisor support were key protective factors, while infection risks were key risk factors. Only positive changes in relationship quality was protective of lower wellbeing.

Conclusion

This study highlights the significance of social determinants and individual level factors alongside work related factors, in influencing FHWs' mental health and wellbeing during public health crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings suggest that future interventions and supports should take a more holistic approach that considers work, social and individual level factors when supporting FHWs' mental health and wellbeing.

Working and learning from home during COVID-19: International experiences among social work educators and students

This research seeks to explore the experiences of social work educators and students working and learning from home. The findings, from an international survey sample of 166 educators and students, showed that the respondents faced issues with private and personal boundaries, felt the impact of working and learning from home on both physical and emotional levels, and experienced challenges to what was expected of them. The respondents primarily used two types of coping mechanisms to manage these challenges. These findings contribute to a broader discussion of the impact of working and learning from home and are relevant for education administrators responsible for their employees' and students' well-being.

Work-related psychosocial challenges and coping strategies among nursing workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Nurses and midwives have been stretched by the COVID-19 pandemic amidst the heroic roles they have played during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurses stood tall among their peers in the healthcare industry saving lives. The pandemic has had a toll on nurses physically, psychologically, and socio-economically. The numerous deaths have traumatized nurses coupled with the fear of possible infection. Nurses have seen their colleagues and loved ones lose their lives to the pandemic, nevertheless, they still render care to patients no matter the circumstances. Due to that, it is imperative to ascertain the extent to which nurses who are much needed in healthcare delivery have been affected by this pandemic. This scoping review used Arksey and O'Malley's review methodology to investigate the nature of work-related psychosocial challenges nurses encountered during the peak of the pandemic, noting the major contributors to the challenges and the coping strategies used to address them.

METHODS

We performed a scoping review and searched for articles from five databases including PUBMED, CINAHL, SCOPUS, Google Scholar, and Grey literature from December 2019 to December 2021. A total of 7,334 articles were retrieved for the study but 45 met the inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

Work-related psychosocial challenges identified included stress, burnout (emotional exhaustion and depersonalization), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, sleeplessness, and anxiety. Factors that accounted for the challenges were inadequate personal protective equipment (PPEs), discomfort using the PPEs, extreme workload, and fatigue. Nurses experienced job insecurity, business closure, and separation from family and loved ones, and these contributed to their challenges. Strategies used to deal with the challenges centred on emotion-focused and problem-focused coping.

CONCLUSIONS

The study recommends regular counselling and support for all nurses working at the frontline to help them better cope with the devastating effects of the pandemic so that they could build resilience towards future pandemics.

Staff quality of working life and turnover intentions in municipal nursing care and social welfare: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Nurses and social workers are two common professions with a university degree working within municipal nursing care and social welfare. Both groups have high turnover intention rates, and there is a need to better understand their quality of working life and turnover intentions in general and more specifically during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study investigated associations between working life, coping strategies and turnover intentions of staff with a university degree working within municipal care and social welfare during the Covid-19 pandemic.

METHODS

A cross-sectional design; 207 staff completed questionnaires and data were analyzed using multiple linear regression analyses.

RESULTS

Turnover intentions were common. For registered nurses 23% thought of leaving the workplace and 14% the profession 'rather often' and 'very often/always'. The corresponding figures for social workers were 22% (workplace) and 22% (profession). Working life variables explained 34-36% of the variance in turnover intentions. Significant variables in the multiple linear regression models were work-related stress, home-work interface and job-career satisfaction (both for the outcome turnover intentions profession and workplace) and Covid-19 exposure/patients (turnover intentions profession). For the chosen coping strategies, 'exercise', 'recreation and relaxation' and 'improving skills', the results (associations with turnover) were non-significant. However, comparing the groups social workers reported that they used 'recreation and relaxation' more often than were reported by registered nurses.

CONCLUSIONS

More work-related stress, worse home-work interface and less job-career satisfaction together with Covid-19 exposure/patients (Covid-19 only for turnover profession) increase turnover intentions. Recommendations are that managers should strive for better home-work interface and job-career satisfaction, monitor and counteract work-related stress to prevent turnover intentions.

Working conditions and well-being in UK social care and social work during COVID-19

Summary

Stress and mental health are among the biggest causes of sickness absence in the UK, with the Social Work and Social Care sectors having among the highest levels of stress and mental health sickness absence of all professions in the UK. Chronically poor working conditions are known to impact employees' psychological and physiological health. The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected both the mode and method of work in Social Care and Social Work. Through a series of cross-sectional online surveys, completed by a total of 4,950 UK Social Care and Social Workers, this study reports the changing working conditions and well-being of UK Social Care and Social Workers at two time points (phases) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Findings

All working conditions and well-being measures were found to be significantly worse during Phase 2 (November-January 2021) than Phase 1 (May-July 2020), with worse psychological well-being than the UK average in Phase 2. Furthermore, our findings indicate that in January 2021, feelings about general well-being, control at work, and working conditions predicted worsened psychological well-being.

Applications

Our findings highlight the importance of understanding and addressing the impact of the pandemic on the Social Care and Social Work workforce, thus highlighting that individuals, organizations, and governments need to develop mechanisms to support these employees during and beyond the pandemic.

Coping mechanisms used by pharmacists to deal with stress, what is helpful and what is harmful?

Background

Australian pharmacists encountered increased stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has raised questions regarding the effectiveness of the coping mechanisms used to manage this high work-related stress. Identifying useful and harmful coping mechanisms is critical for providing advice regarding addressing pharmacists' future work-related stress.

Objectives

This study aimed to explore the impact of pharmacy work on stress experienced by Australian pharmacists and the coping mechanisms used during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study also aimed to evaluate the pharmacists' perceptions of the impact of these coping mechanisms on their stress.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted. Practising pharmacists and interns were recruited to complete an online survey that included the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), which was used to measure pharmacists' work-related stress, and the Brief-COPE scale, used to assess the coping mechanisms used during the COVID-19 pandemic. The key outcome measure was the PSS score. A multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between coping mechanisms and stress levels in a sample of Australian pharmacists.

Results

A total of 173 pharmacists and interns were recruited. The mean PSS was 18.02 (SD = 6.7). Avoidant coping mechanisms such as social withdrawal (β = 0.31; p = 0.0001) were significantly positively associated with work-related stress. In contrast, exercise was significantly negatively associated with work-related stress (β = -0.21; p = 0.009). The most frequently reported perceived barrier to seeking help was feeling burnt out and underappreciated.

Conclusions

This study highlights the association of coping mechanisms used by pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic with work-related stress. The study results demonstrate the importance of physical activity and spending time with pets in reducing work-related stress levels. Avoiding harmful coping mechanisms such as social withdrawal and drinking alcohol is recommended. This study also highlights the need for interventional studies to reduce work-related stress levels among pharmacists by addressing useful coping mechanisms.

An international survey of allied health & nursing professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic: Perspectives on facilitators of & barriers to care

BACKGROUND

Allied health and nursing professionals (AHNP) are integral members of transplant teams. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they were required to adapt to changes in their clinical practices. The goal of the present study was to describe AHNP perceptions concerning the impact of the pandemic on their roles, practice, and resource allocation.

METHODS

An online survey was distributed globally via email by the International Pediatric Transplant Association to AHNP at transplant centers from September to December 2020. Responses to open-ended questions were collected using an electronic database. Using a thematic analysis approach, coding was conducted by three independent coders who identified patterns in responses, and discrepancies were resolved through discussion.

RESULTS

The majority of respondents (n = 119) were from North America (78%), with many other countries represented (e.g., the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Central and South America). Four main categories of impacts were identified: (1) workflow changes, (2) the quality of the work environment, (3) patient care, and (4) resources.

CONCLUSIONS

Participants indicated that the pandemic heightened existing barriers and resource challenges frequently experienced by AHNP; however, the value of team connections and opportunities afforded by technology were also highlighted. Virtual care was seen as increasing healthcare access but concerns about the quality and consistency of care were also expressed. A notable gap in participant responses was identified; the vast majority did not identify any personal challenges connected with the pandemic (e.g., caring for children while working remotely, personal stress) which likely further impacted their experiences.

Quality of work-life and coping strategies of nurse educators and clinicians in COVID-19: A cross-sectional study

The study compared perceived differences in Quality of Work-Life (QoWL) among nurse clinicians and educators and coping strategies used by nurses.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

METHODS

From August and November 2020, the study measured the QoWL and coping strategies of 360 nurses with two scales using a multi-stage sampling technique. The data were analysed with descriptive, Pearson correlation and multivariate linear regression analyses.

RESULTS

Quality of Work-Life was generally low among nurses; nurse educators, however, had better QoWL than clinical nurses. Age, salary and nature of work predicted the QoWL of nurses. Work-family segmentation, seeking assistance, open communication and recreational activities were employed by most nurses to cope with challenges. With the rate of workload and work-related stress associated with COVID-19, nurse leaders must advocate for evidence-based coping strategies to deal with work and family life stress.

Mental Health of Healthcare Professionals: Two Years of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Portugal

The COVID-19 pandemic increased psychosocial risk factors among healthcare professionals (HCPs). Objective: To characterize Portuguese HCPs mental health (MH), estimate anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and burnout symptoms, and identify risk/protective factors. A cross-sectional online survey and a longitudinal assessment were conducted in 2020 (T0) and 2021 (T1). Sociodemographic and occupational variables, COVID-19-related experiences and protective behavior data were collected from a non-probabilistic sample of HCPs in Portugal. Symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD, burnout and resilience were assessed using the Portuguese versions of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5), the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure (MBSM) and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), respectively. Risk and protective factors were identified through simple and multiple logistic regression models. Overall, 2027 participants answered the survey in T0 and 1843 in T1. The percentage of moderate-to-severe symptoms decreased from T0 to T1; however, a considerable proportion of HCPs reported symptoms of distress in both years. Being a woman, working in a COVID-19-treatment frontline position and work-life balance increased the odds of distress. High resilience, good social/family support, and hobbies/lifestyle maintenance were found to be protective factors. Globally, our results show that performing as a HCP during the pandemic may result in long-term effects on MH.

Understanding the Mental Health Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Railway Workers: Risks and Protective Factors

OBJECTIVE

Railway workers have provided an essential service throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explored the effects of COVID-19 on the mental well-being of railway workers (N = 906) in the United Kingdom during the third lockdown period.

METHOD

The online survey included measures of COVID-19-related risk factors (perceived risk, stress, burnout, trauma) and protective factors (resilience coping, team resilience, general help seeking) associated with mental well-being. Responses were analyzed using multiple regression and content analysis.

RESULTS

COVID-19-related risk factors negatively predicted well-being. Higher scores on adaptive resilience, intentions to seek help, and team resilience significantly predicted higher mental well-being scores. Mental health decline throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns for the future were reported.

CONCLUSIONS

Building a resilient railway workforce requires attention to staff mental well-being and to ensuring that support systems are robust and accessible.

"Each week feels like a mountain": The impact of COVID-19 on mental health providers' wellbeing and clinical work

The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has placed a tremendous strain on healthcare providers. Although there is a burgeoning body of literature on how COVID-19 has impacted frontline healthcare workers (i.e., providers treating COVID-19 patients), little attention has been dedicated to second-line workers (i.e., providers treating the mental health of people impacted by COVID-19). In this paper, we present findings from a thematic analysis of open text responses (n = 136) examining how COVID-19 shaped both the wellbeing of second-line workers, specifically mental health providers, as well as their clinical work in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Results indicated that mental health providers were experiencing significant COVID-19-related burnout and poor physical and mental health outcomes. Participants described diminished negative effects on the quality of their clinical care from the burnout and trauma associated with COVID-19. Many also demonstrated resilience, identifying the duality of both negative (e.g., exhaustion) and positive (e.g., pride in helping others) meaning derived from their second-line work experiences. We conclude with recommendations for preventing and addressing burnout among mental health professionals in the era of COVID-19 and subsequent health emergencies.

Digital Transformation: Inevitable Change or Sizable Opportunity? The Strategic Role of HR Management in Industry 4.0

Background: The impact of technologies on workers has been a recurring theme in occupational health psychology. In particular, the sudden digital transformation of the last two decades, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has stressed the urgency to investigate new ways of working that are characterized by flexibility and a constant increase of autonomy. In this perspective, this study aims to investigate the state of the art of the innovation process in Italian factories, explore whether and how digitalization can be seen as an opportunity, and imagine a new way of working characterized by adaptability, resilience, and openness to change. Methods: Thirty in-depth interviews of Italian experts in HR management were collected and analyzed using a mix-method approach. Results: The findings underline the Italian HR experts’ perceptions of the risks associated with rapid changes required by technological progress in terms of workers’ wellbeing and satisfaction and suggest how important it is that organizations rapidly set up learning and training programs to guide workers to the acquisition of new skills required by Industry 4.0. Conclusions: Future workplaces will be characterized by extreme versatility, which requires workers to increasingly have both technical and soft skills as well as the ability to collaborate and build functional relationships.

Feeling Informed and Safe Are Important Factors in the Psychosomatic Health of Frontline Workers in the Health Sector during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Austria

The global spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has created new challenges for the entire healthcare system, and those who work directly with the patients or even on the front lines with COVID-19 patients have been particularly stressed. Only a few studies are currently available investigating psychosomatic symptoms among healthcare workers, particularly frontline workers, over the entire pandemic period (2020-2022). There is also a lack of knowledge about strategies to prevent stress during and after a health crisis.

METHODS

An online survey was conducted at three times (April 2020, winter 2020/2021, and winter 2021/2022) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Austria. The sample included 160 healthcare workers at screening time 1, 1.361 healthcare workers at screening time 2, and 1.134 healthcare workers at screening time 3. The survey included COVID-19 work-related fears, satisfaction with the frontline work, and standardized inventories to assess psychosomatic symptoms, such as the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-D).

RESULTS

Psychosomatic symptoms were more common among women compared to men, and among frontline workers compared to non-frontline workers, especially during the course of the pandemic at t2 and t3. Self-reported scores of COVID-19 work-related fears were significantly associated with psychosomatic symptoms. Furthermore, in frontline workers, there was a significant association between the feeling of being safe and well-informed and psychosomatic symptoms.

CONCLUSION

COVID-19 work-related fears and psychosomatic symptoms have been prevalent among healthcare workers throughout the pandemic. Feeling safe and informed appears to be essential to prevent psychosomatic symptoms, leading to a recommendation for employers in the healthcare sector to focus on communication and information. As frontline workers are especially prone to psychosomatic symptoms, more stress prevention programs for them will be essential to maintain productivity and reduce sick days and fluctuations in the healthcare system.

Bibliometric and systemic analysis of the relationship between quality of work life and productivity during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it changes in the way of working and the well-being of workers.

OBJECTIVE

To identify research trends on work life quality and its impact on productivity in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHOD

The Proknow-C constructivist methodology was used, with which a bibliographic portfolio of 49 articles obtained from the Web of Science was prepared, resulting from four stages of search between 2012 and 2022; a bibliometric analysis was performed on that database and bibliometric networks were created with the software VOSviewer; the systemic analysis of the articles was carried out, thus showing theories, definitions and indicators; and areas of opportunity of research were identified.

RESULTS

The most important high-impact specialized journals and authors, articles considered central, most used keywords such as job satisfaction, quality of work life and COVID-19, as well as the most representative countries such as European and Asian, are presented.

CONCLUSION

It was found that the health sector is one of the most studied, allowing researchers from other sectors the opportunity to delve into the issue of the affectations of the quality of work life reflected in productivity and common variables were synthesized such as job satisfaction, well-being, motivation and security, among others.

Pattern and perception of wellbeing, quality of work life and quality of care of health professionals in Southwest Nigeria

BACKGROUND

Personal wellbeing (PW) including quality of life and work life is a very complex concept that influences health professionals' commitment and productivity. Improving PW may result in positive outcomes and good quality of care. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the pattern and perception of wellbeing, quality of work life (QoWL) and quality of care (QoC) of health professionals (HPs) in southwest Nigeria.  METHODS: The study was a convergent parallel mixed method design comprising a cross-sectional survey (1580 conveniently selected participants) and a focus group interview (40 purposively selected participants). Participants' PW, quality of life (QoL), QoWL, and QoC were assessed using the PW Index Scale, 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index, QoWL questionnaire, and Clinician QoC scale, respectively. The pattern of wellbeing, QoWL and quality of care of HPs were evaluated using t-test and ANOVA tests. Binary regression analysis was used to assess factors that could classify participants as having good or poor wellbeing, QoWL, and quality of care of HPs. The qualitative findings were thematically analyzed following two independent transcriptions. An inductive approach to naming themes was used. Codes were assigned to the data and common codes were grouped into categories, leading to themes and subthemes.

RESULTS

Of 1600 administered questionnaires, 1580 were returned, giving a 98.75% response rate. Only 45.3%, 43.9%, 39.8% and 38.4% of HP reported good PW, QoL, QoC and QoWL, respectively; while 54.7%, 56.1%, 60.2% and 61.6% were poor. There were significant gender differences in PW and QoC in favor of females. With an increase in age and years of practice, there was a significant increase in PW, QoWL and QoC. As the work volume increased, there was significant decrease in QoWL. Participants with master's or Ph.D. degrees reported improved QoWL while those with diploma reported better QoC. PWI and QoC were significantly different along the type of appointment, with those who held part-time appointments having the least values. The regression models showed that participant's characteristics such as age, gender, designation, and work volume significantly classified health professionals who had good or poor QoC, QoWL, PW and QoL. The focus group interview revealed four themes and 16 sub-themes. The four themes were the definitions of QoC, QoWL, and PW, and dimensions of QoC.

CONCLUSION

More than half of health professionals reported poor quality of work life, quality of life and personal wellbeing which were influenced by personal and work-related factors. All these may have influenced the poor quality of care reported, despite the finding of a good knowledge of what quality of care entails.

Developing effective workforce training to support the long-term care of older adults: A review of reviews

This review of reviews aimed to identify and synthesise evidence to support the design of learning interventions for non-registered practitioners supporting older people in long-term care (people's own homes, hospices or residential/nursing care). Our objectives were to inform the analysis part of the Analysis, Design, Development Implementation and Evaluation framework by finding evidence on the following five components of learning: content, format (teaching strategies and resources/media), structure, contextual factors (barriers and enablers) and measures used when monitoring the effectives of learning. Databases searched included Pro-quest (ASSIA), Scopus, Ovid (PsycINFO, Medline, Embase and Social Policy and Practice), SCIE Online and Cochrane Reviews and reference searching, with the last search being conducted in April 2021. Fifteen papers were identified as eligible for inclusion. Most of the interventions aimed to improve dementia care (n = 10), with others exploring LGBT+ competency (n = 2), or other forms of professional development (n = 3). Common features of effective learning included a multifaceted approach, with in-practice learning being blended with additional implementation strategies (e.g. supervision) and didactic learning/worksheets. An important contextual factor was working within an organisational culture which supported shared learning and reflection. This may also help encourage engagement with training, where staff are unwilling to attend if it may compromise care delivery. Future research should focus on the characteristics of trainers and the structure of learning, with more research being needed in in mental and physical morbidities outside the remit of dementia to improve the overall quality of the social care workforce.

ENACT study: What has helped health and social care workers maintain their mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic?

A growing body of research has highlighted the adverse impact of COVID-19 stressors on health and social care workers' (HSCWs) mental health. Complementing this work, we report on the psychosocial factors that have had both a positive and negative impact on the mental well-being of HSCWs during the third lockdown period in Scotland. Using a cross-sectional design, participants (n = 1364) completed an online survey providing quantitative data and free open-text responses. A multi-method approach to analysis was used. The majority of HSCWs were found to have low well-being scores, high levels of COVID-19 stress, worry, burnout and risk perception scores and almost half of HSCWs met the clinical cut-off for acute stress (indicative of PTSD). HSCWs with higher scores on adaptive coping strategies and team resilience reported higher scores on mental well-being. HSCWs were significantly more likely to seek informal support for dealing with personal or emotional problems compared to formal supports. Barriers to formal help-seeking were identified including stigma and fear of the consequences of disclosure. HSCWs mostly valued peer support, workplace supports, visible leadership and teamwork in maintaining their mental well-being. Our findings illuminate the complexity of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on HSCWs' well-being and will inform future intervention development seeking to increase positive adaptation and improve staff well-being. Addressing barriers to mental health help-seeking among HSCWs is essential. The implications emphasise the importance of lessons learned across health and social care contexts, planning and preparedness for future pandemics.

Comparing the Mental Wellbeing and Quality of Working Life among Nurses and Social Care Workers in the UK and Japan in Older Adults’ Care Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study explored and compared the psychological wellbeing, burnout, coping strategies and work-related quality of life amongst health and social care workers in older adults’ care homes and community settings during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom (UK) and Japan. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in the UK (May–July 2021) and a postal survey conducted in Japan (September–October 2021). Participants recruited were health and social care professionals within nursing, social care and social work occupations working in care home or community settings in the UK and Japan during the pandemic. Data were analysed using SPSS. 1327 respondents across the UK and Japan completed the survey. Respondents’ psychological wellbeing was significantly lower in Japan compared to the UK (p ≤ 0.001). UK respondents had significantly higher personal burnout (p < 0.05) and work-related burnout (p < 0.05) while those in Japan had significantly higher client-related burnout (p < 0.001). The novelty of this study relates to exploring mental wellbeing and quality of working life in two culturally contrasting countries. The overall psychological wellbeing and work-related quality of life of staff who work with older adults in the UK and Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic were lower than the population norm. Greater support and flexible working conditions for this workforce are needed to reduce burnout by improving wellbeing and work-related quality of life.

COVID-19 stress and wellbeing: A phenomenological qualitative study of Pakistani Medical Doctors

The COVID-19 stress and increased job pressure have largely affected healthcare professionals’ various life domains. This study particularly explores the effect of stress caused by treating COVID-19 patients on medical doctors’ wellbeing. To explore this phenomenon, we interviewed 12 doctors treating COVID-19 patients in hospitals of metropolitan cities in Pakistan. The thematic analysis using NVivo V.12 Plus software of interviews resulted in four major themes, COVID-19 Stressors, Effects of Stress, Nature and Personality, Stress Relievers, and Stress Coping Strategies. Physicians were physically and emotionally stressed as a result of the intense work. Although they were carrying a lot of pain and hurt on their insides, participants demonstrated a sense of professional determination to overcome obstacles. Physicians are currently dealing with their emotional issues, and they should have access to complete professional help to ensure their wellbeing. The COVID-19 pandemic’s mental health effects are anticipated to last far longer than the physical health effects. This study is well-positioned to investigate frontline physicians’ opinions and attitudes concerning the COVID-19 and its impact on their daily lives and mental health. This research will help implement context-specific innovative mental health solutions to help the frontline workers.

Experiences of Work-Related Stress Among Female Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency: A Qualitative Study in the United Arab of Emirates

Objective

Frontline healthcare workers experienced high levels of psychological distress and emotional turmoil due to the changes necessitated by the COVID-19 public health emergency. Given that workplace stress can negatively influence both quality of work, and job performance, this study sought to explore the lived experiences of work-related stress among female healthcare workers in United Arab of Emirates during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A qualitative phenomenological investigation was performed using a purposive sampling approach. A total of 26 semi-structured interviews were conducted with female healthcare workers who worked directly with COVID-19 patients. Using Giorgi’s descriptive method, the data were analyzed to identify the main themes.

Results

Three main themes emerged from the data analysis, with nine categories under these themes. The first theme was “sources of work-related stress.” The participants reported a high workload, fear of being infected and transmitting the virus to others, and uncertainty and lack of knowledge regarding COVID-19 to be the main sources of their work-related stress. The second theme was “challenges of working during the pandemic.” The participants related being challenged by changes in the organization of care, the need to use personal protective equipment, a work-life imbalance, and witnessing patients’ suffering. The third theme was “coping strategies.” The participants perceived having sources of social support and using self-adjustment skills to be helpful strategies in terms of coping with the stressful situations they experienced.

Conclusion

The findings suggest a number of strategies and interventions that could be used at the individual and institutional levels to promote the preparedness and efficacy of healthcare workers during future crises and public health emergencies.

Wellbeing and coping of UK nurses, midwives and allied health professionals during COVID-19-a cross-sectional study

Nurse, Midwives and Allied Health Professionals (AHPs), along with other health and social care colleagues are the backbone of healthcare services. They have played a key role in responding to the increased demands on healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper compares cross-sectional data on quality of working life, wellbeing, coping and burnout of nurses, midwives and AHPs in the United Kingdom (UK) at two time points during the COVID-19 pandemic. An anonymous online repeated cross-sectional survey was conducted at two timepoints, Phase 1 (7^th May 2020-3^rd July 2020); Phase 2 (17^th November 2020-1^st February 2021). The survey consisted of the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale, the Work-Related Quality of Life Scale, and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (Phase 2 only) to measure wellbeing, quality of working life and burnout. The Brief COPE scale and Strategies for Coping with Work and Family Stressors scale assessed coping strategies. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regressions examined the effects of coping strategies and demographic and work-related variables on wellbeing and quality of working life. A total of 1839 nurses, midwives and AHPs responded to the first or second survey, with a final sample of 1410 respondents -586 from Phase 1; 824 from Phase 2, (422 nurses, 192 midwives and 796 AHPs). Wellbeing and quality of working life scores were significantly lower in the Phase 2 sample compared to respondents in Phase 1 (p<0.001). The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant effect on psychological wellbeing and quality of working life which decreased while the use of negative coping and burnout of these healthcare professionals increased. Health services are now trying to respond to the needs of patients with COVID-19 variants while rebuilding services and tackling the backlog of normal care provision. This workforce would benefit from additional support/services to prevent further deterioration in mental health and wellbeing and optimise workforce retention.

Consequences of COVID-19 on Employees in Remote Working: Challenges, Risks and Opportunities An Evidence-Based Literature Review

The COVID-19 pandemic forced organizations across all sectors and sizes to undertake crucial changes in order to remain productive during the emergency. Among these, the shift towards remote working arrangements is still present in our workplaces, impacting employees' well-being and productivity. This systematic review aims to describe the pandemic's consequences on work organization by analyzing whether and how the shift towards remote or home-working impacted employees' productivity, performance, and well-being. Furthermore, it describes the role of individual and organizational factors in determining employees' adjustment to remote work. Sixty-seven peer-reviewed papers published from 2020 to 2022, written in English, were selected through the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Findings describe how remote working arrangements, the workplace and organizational factors, and the employees' individual traits and skills impacted employees' productivity and well-being. Furthermore, they provide a description of the organizational enforcement actions reported in the literature. Managerial and practical implications, such as enforcement actions, team management strategies, and initiatives to promote employees' physical and mental health, will be discussed in the paper.

Coping profiles and differences in well‐being during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A latent profile analysis

During the current COVID-19 pandemic, people need to cope with multiple stressors which may affect their well-being. This study aimed (1) to identify latent coping profiles in the German general population, and (2) to investigate differences between these profiles in well-being. In total, N = 2326 German participants were recruited as part of the European Society of Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS) ADJUST study from June to September 2020 using an online survey. Coping strategies were assessed using the Brief-COPE and the Pandemic Coping Scale; well-being was assessed using the WHO-5 Well-Being Index. Coping profiles were identified using latent profile analysis; differences between profiles were examined using the automatic BCH method and multiple group analyses. Five coping profiles were identified that included different types and numbers of coping strategies: (1) High functional coping (17.84%), (2) Moderate functional coping (40.63%), (3) High functional and religious coping (9.07%), (4) Low functional coping (22.06%), (5) Moderate functional and dysfunctional coping (10.40%). The identified profiles significantly differed in well-being (χ²  = 503.68, p <0.001). Coping profiles indicating high functional coping were associated with greater well-being compared to coping profiles indicating low (χ²  = 82.21, p <0.001) or primarily dysfunctional (χ²  = 354.33, p <0.001) coping. These results provide insight into how people differ in their coping strategies when dealing with stressors in an early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study indicates higher levels of well-being in coping profiles with more frequent use of functional strategies. To promote well-being in the general population, it might be beneficial to train functional coping strategies in appropriate interventions that are associated with increased well-being.

Fear of being infected with COVID-19 virus among the medical social workers and its relationship to their future orientation

COVID-19 has been studied extensively for its direct effects on healthcare workers. Despite this, very little is known about the effect of COVID-19 fear on future orientation. Studying medical social workers' fear of being infected with COVID-19 and their future orientation was the primary method used to examine this relationship. 204 Turkish medical social workers on the pandemic's front lines were included in the total sample. Social workers were found to be extremely concerned about contracting COVID-19. Although only gender is a significant predictor of the fear of contracting COVID-19 infection, the study also found that female social workers have a higher fear of infection than males. Also, no correlation exists between social workers' vaccination status and their fear of contracting COVID-19. There was a weak negative correlation between social workers' fear of contracting COVID-19 and their future orientation, but in general, social workers had a positive future orientation. Medical social workers and front-line health care providers can use these findings to develop effective and culturally appropriate intervention programs to reduce COVID-19 concerns and foster a forward-looking outlook.

Understanding and measuring the work-related quality of life among those working in adult social care: A scoping review

The main aim of this scoping review was to understand how work-related quality of life (WRQoL) in adult social care has been defined and measured in the literature and to map key components of WRQoL among those working in adult social care and similar contexts. The scoping review included studies that: 1- focused on WRQoL/work-related wellbeing (and their synonyms); and 2- included adult social care or community health care. We searched existing evidence from November 2019 until July 2020 through an electronic literature search of eight major databases complemented by the grey literature, searching the reference lists and by contacting our existing network of experts in the field. In addition, we repeated the searches to identify any relevant literature published in 2021. Reporting followed the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist. In total, we included 68 publications. These publications indicate that there is an absence of agreement on a definition and measurement of WRQoL in adult social care. Based on a thematic analysis we identified six key components of WRQoL: organisational characteristics; job characteristics; mental wellbeing and health; physical wellbeing and health; spill-over from work to home; and professional identity. In summary, at the moment, there is no agreement on what WRQoL is and how to measure it in adult social care. As a result, there is very limited evidence on how to improve WRQoL among people working in adult social care. However, this scoping review suggests that there are six key components of WRQoL that researchers may consider to include in their future studies.

Quality of work-life and turnover intentions among the Ghanaian nursing workforce: A multicentre study

Introduction

Attrition of the Nursing Workforce from low-and middle-income countries to high-resourced settings is a reality that has escalated in the current Coronavirus pandemic due to varied reasons. With increased job stress resulting from the pandemic, the Quality of Work-Life of the Nursing Workforce is affected, with its effect on poor quality care to the client. This study sought to assess the perception of the Nursing Workforce about the Quality of Work-Life, and the factors that predict turnover intention among nurses in the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana.

Methods

A cross-sectional, descriptive design involving multiple centres was used. The participants were made up of 348 Registered Nurses working in primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare in five (5) hospitals in the Kumasi Metropolis. Data collection was done using questionnaires adapted from the Work-Related Quality of Life Scale and the Turnover Intention Scale and analyzed using frequencies, mean, standard deviation, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation, and Multiple Regression.

Results

The Registered Nurses perceived Quality of Work-Life as low; with close to half of them having a turnover intention. All the domains of Quality of Work-Life of the Nursing Workforce significantly correlated with Turnover intentions. Regression analysis showed that the number of years in a healthcare setting, general well-being, job control and satisfaction, and working condition of the Registered Nurse significantly predicted their turnover intentions at the p-value of 0.05.

Conclusion

The findings of the study have provided an understanding of the Quality of Work-Life, and factors that contribute to increased turnover intentions among the Nursing Workforce amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare systems must enrol in requisite programmes that provide psychological and social support through counselling to promote the Quality of Work-Life of nurses.

Personal Assistants' role in infection prevention and control: Their experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic

Personal Assistants (PA) or client-hired workers are directly employed by people needing care and support, often making use of government funding. In the context of Covid-19, questions emerged about how this workforce is supported to practice safely. This paper reports PAs' understanding and views of infection control during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic in England. Telephone interviews were undertaken with 41 PAs between 16th April and 21st May 2020. PAs were recruited from a sample that had participated in a previous study in 2014-16. Interview questions focused on changes arising from the pandemic. Data were transcribed and analysed using Framework analysis. This paper focuses on PAs' perceptions of their role and responsibilities in preventing and managing infection. Arising themes were identified about barriers and facilitators affecting infection control in five areas: accessing information, social isolation, handwashing, hygiene, personal protective equipment and potential attitude to vaccines. Infection prevention and control are under-researched in the home care sector generally and efforts are needed to develop knowledge of how to manage infection risks in home settings by non-clinically trained staff such as PAs and how to engage home care users with these efforts, especially when they are the direct employers.

Resilience, perceived social support and professional quality of life among medical social workers during COVID-19 pandemic in Mainland China: A cross-sectional survey

As COVID-19 rapidly overwhelmed the world in 2020, medical social workers have fought against the disease on the front lines as a member of medical teams, but little is known about the impact of the pandemic on their mental health. This study investigated the resilience, perceived social support and professional quality of life of medical social workers in Mainland China under the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic. An online questionnaire survey was applied to 319 respondents and the results showed that informal support was positively related with compassion satisfaction (r = 0.67, p < .01) and negatively correlated with job burnout (r = -0.51, p < .01) while formal support was positively associated with compassion satisfaction (r = 0.61, p < .01) and negatively associated with job burnout (r = -0.44. p < .01). Resilience was positively correlated with compassion satisfaction (r = 0.56, p < .01) and negatively correlated with job burnout (r = -0.49, p < .01). Nevertheless, neither perceived social support nor resilience was associated with secondary traumatic stress. The regression results further highlighted the role of informal social support on job burnout. Measures should be taken to enhance the professional quality of life for medical social workers during a public health crisis .

Clapping for carers in the Covid-19 crisis: Carers' reflections in a UK survey

This paper reports and discusses the weekly Clapping for Carers - described as 'front-line heroes' that took place across the United Kingdom during the first national lockdown of the coronavirus pandemic. Data are drawn from a UK-wide online survey of health and social care workers, completed in May to July 2020. The survey received 3,425 responses of which 2,541 were analysed; free-text comments were categorised. One question asked specifically: 'Do you think the "Clap for Carers" was a helpful response from the public?', and 815 comments were provided. Responses were extracted from these 815 free-text comments and categorised as follows: unequivocally Yes, predominantly Yes, mixed feelings, predominantly No and unequivocally No. Most comments revealed mixed feelings about the helpfulness of Clapping with only a minority being entirely supportive. The free-text comments offer some explanations for these views with many feeling that Clapping distracted from the severity of the pandemic and the inadequate resources. The free-text comments reveal workforce concerns that the support demonstrated for the frontline workforce in Clapping might be transitory and that it may not translate into workforce improvements and political commitment to further funding of health and social care. Some saw the value of Clapping as illustrative of community cohesion. There was little mention of Clapping for heroes, and where it was the notion of heroism was rejected. The demonstration of public support in Clapping for Carers may have directly benefitted the public, but only indirectly the workforce. Future recruitment data may help discern if public support has translated into a desire to join the workforce.

A Multicriteria Approach for Measuring Employee Well-Being

This paper proposes that employee well-being includes four dimensions: job satisfaction, life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect. Each dimension is interdependent and correlated. Therefore, the measurement of employee well-being is complicated and fuzzy. This study aims to treat the measurement of employee well-being as a fuzzy problem, construct a measurement model from the perspective of multi-criteria decision making, and establish the preference relationship between indicators through fuzzy measure and Choquet integral. Applying multiple linear regression analysis and the heuristic least mean squares method, the main findings are as follows: (1) It is inappropriate to use job satisfaction as a substitute for measuring employee well-being, as the weight of job satisfaction is the lowest among the four dimensions. (2) Employee well-being is also largely reflected in their overall satisfaction with life because life satisfaction is the most heavily weighted. (3) Employee well-being needs to consider the emotion-related indicators and satisfaction-related indicators comprehensively because fuzzy analysis proves that their relationship is redundant. Finally, the practical implications of these findings and future research directions are discussed.

Protective Factors and Coping Styles Associated with Quality of Life during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparison of Hospital or Care Institution and Private Practice Nurses

In France, nurses work either in hospitals and care institutions or in private practice, following physicians' prescriptions and taking care of patients at their homes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these populations of nurses were exposed to numerous sources of stress. The main objective of the present study was to identify the protective factors they mobilized to face the crisis and how these factors contributed to sustaining their quality of life (QoL). A cross-sectional study was conducted to answer these questions. Overall, 9898 French nurses participated in the study, providing demographic information and filling out QoL (WHOQOL-BREF), perceived stress (PSS-14), resilience (CD-RISC), social support (MSPSS), and coping style (BRIEF-COPE) questionnaires. The results revealed very few differences between the two groups of nurses, which is surprising given the drastically different contexts in which they practice. Social support and two coping strategies (positive reframing and acceptance) were associated with a high QoL, whereas perceived stress and four coping strategies (denial, blaming self, substance use, and behavioral disengagement) were associated with poor QoL. In the light of these results, we recommended promoting social support and coping strategies to help nurses cope during the pandemic.

How Much Burnout and Coping Influence Quality of Life among Young Oncology Providers in Romania during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study aims to investigate the correlations between burnout, coping strategies, and quality of life among young oncology healthcare workers in Romania during the COVID-19 pandemic. We collected the data using an online questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic questions, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the COPE questionnaire, and the 15D instrument. A total of 122 healthcare providers responded to our survey. We evaluated the differences in the scores among the three groups of healthcare workers in oncology under 40 years old: medical oncologists (n = 87), radiation oncologists (n = 11), and oncology nurses (n = 24). Finally, we conducted a correlation analysis between the dimensions of burnout, coping, and quality of life. Overall, the medical oncologists exhibited much higher burnout levels than nurses in the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, having statistically significant higher levels of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal achievement. Some factors were inversely associated with burnout: active approach, planning, positive interpretation and growth, and acceptance. Our findings illustrated a very good level of health-related quality of life (average = 0.93, SD = 0.06), and no statistically significant differences were found in the quality of life between the three groups. This study was the first to identify the profile of young oncology providers in Romania. Our findings may be relevant in creating preventive strategies for burnout and increasing the quality of life in Romanian young oncology providers in future crises.

Co-Design, Delivery, and Evaluation of Wellbeing Initiatives for NHS Staff: The HOW (Healthier Outcomes at Work) NHS Project

Stress and mental health are leading causes of sickness absence in the UK, responsible for over 50% of sickness absence across the country. Healthcare sector workers play a vital role in the life of everyone across the country but have among the highest levels of sickness absence of any sector. The aim of this project, therefore, was to work with UK healthcare workers to co-develop, implement, and evaluate a series of mental health and wellbeing interventions delivered via a smartphone app and associated toolkit. A participatory action research methodology, consisting of individual interviews, focus group discussions, and oversight by an expert action learning group, was used to develop primary (i.e., those associated with the workplace) and secondary (improving individual resilience and coping) stress management interventions. Pre-post-intervention analysis demonstrated improvements in work engagement and working conditions, although significant improvements were only found in mean scoring on demands, control, managerial support, and peer support working condition measures. The project therefore demonstrates that co-produced initiatives which focus on improving either the organisation or resilience of the workforce may be useful in supporting employee health and wellbeing. Future studies should build upon these findings through a full RCT to determine utility of the interventions.

Coping Strategies Among Undergraduates: Spanish Adaptation and Validation of the Brief-COPE Inventory

Purpose

Different studies have highlighted the importance of coping strategies in stressful situations. The Coping Orientation to Problem Experienced (COPE) by Carver et al is one of the instruments that is frequently used for measuring this aspect. The aim of this study was to carry out the cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Brief-COPE inventory to measure coping strategies in Spanish populations.

Methods

The linguistic and cultural adaptation of the Brief-COPE was carried out using the back-translation method and, after considering the results of the pilot test, the Spanish version of the instrument was configured, and subsequently administered to a convenient sample of 2135 undergraduates. A confirmatory factor analysis was carried out to examine construct validity of the Spanish adaptation of the brief-COPE; likewise, reliability was analyzed from two approaches, internal consistency and composite reliability. Concurrent validity was also tested.

Results

The results showed that the Spanish version of Brief-COPE has adequate reliability values, as well as satisfactory fit indexes for the proposed 14-factor first-order structural model. Likewise, external evidence of the validity of the inventory with the variables perceived stress, level of satisfaction with life, and academic performance is provided.

Conclusion

The results suggest that this instrument presents a satisfactory metric quality and, therefore, it could be useful to evaluate coping strategies, which would allow further research on its incidence and consequences on health and psychological functioning.

Wellbeing in Workers during COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Role of Self-Compassion in the Relationship between Personal Resources and Exhaustion

Italy was the second country to be affected by COVID-19 in early 2020, after China. The confrontation with the pandemic led to great changes in the world of work and, consequently, to the personal world of workers. In such a challenging situation, it is essential to be able to rely on resources that facilitate individual coping. The aim of this study was to understand the association between personal resources (optimism and humor) and exhaustion, and the role of self-compassion in this relationship. A structural equation model (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses on a heterogeneous sample of 422 Italian workers during the first lockdown in April–May 2020. The results revealed that optimism and humor were positively associated with self-compassion; optimism and humor also had a negative association with exhaustion; and self-compassion had a mediating role between the two personal resources and exhaustion. These results confirmed the importance of personal resources in maintaining workers’ wellbeing during a challenging period such as the pandemic. The present study also contributes to the body of knowledge on self-compassion, a relatively new construct that has been little studied in the organizational field.

Decreasing Wellbeing and Increasing Use of Negative Coping Strategies: The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the UK Health and Social Care Workforce

Many health and social care (HSC) professionals have faced overwhelming pressures throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. As the current situation is constantly changing, and some restrictions across the UK countries such as social distancing and mask wearing in this period (May-July 2021) began to ease, it is important to examine how this workforce has been affected and how employers can help rebuild their services. The aim of this study was to compare cross-sectional data collected from the HSC workforce in the UK at three time points during the COVID-19 pandemic: Phase 1 (May-July 2020), Phase 2 (November 2020-January 2021) and Phase 3 (May-July 2021). Respondents surveyed across the UK (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland) consisted of nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, social care workers and social workers. Wellbeing and work-related quality of life significantly declined from Phase 1 to 3 (p &lt; 0.001); however, no significant difference occurred between Phases 2 and 3 (p &gt; 0.05). Respondents increasingly used negative coping strategies between Phase 1 (May-July 2020) and Phase 3 (May-July 2021), suggesting that the HSC workforce has been negatively impacted by the pandemic. These results have the potential to inform HSC employers' policies, practices, and interventions as the workforce continues to respond to the COVID-19 virus and its legacy.

Developing a Scale of Care Work-Related Quality of Life (CWRQoL) for Long-Term Care Workers in England

BACKGROUND

Long-term care (LTC) workers are subjected to structural and inherent difficult conditions that are likely to impact their quality of life at work; however, no agreed scale measures it. This study aims to develop a scale to measure the work-related quality of life among LTC workers in England (CWRQoL). The study establishes the domains/sub-domains of CWRQoL, investigates the tool's utility and collates information on existing supporting strategies for CWRQoL.

METHODS

We adopt a mixed-methods approach employing inductive/deductive processes at three stages: (1) a scoping review of the literature; (2) interviews and focus groups with frontline LTC workers, managers and LTC stakeholders; and (3) a content validity consensus survey.

RESULTS

CWRQoL is composed of seven domains (and 23 sub-domains). Additional domains to those in the literature include financial wellbeing, sufficient time for building relations, managing grief and emotions associated with client death and end of life care. Stakeholders identified several benefits and challenges related to the CWRQoL tool's utility. COVID-19 significantly impacted LTC workers' mental wellbeing and spillover between work and home.

CONCLUSIONS

The study highlighted the complex nature of CWRQoL and provided a solid ground for developing and validating a CWRQoL scale.

Learning from adversity: Occupational therapy staff experiences of coping during Covid-19

Introduction

The Occupational Therapy profession is adaptable and flexible (Thorner (1991) and these characteristics have the potential to act as protective factors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the mechanisms that support coping during adversity can help promote future wellbeing. The aim of this study was to explore how Occupational Therapy staff felt and coped during the first peak of the pandemic.

Method

A questionnaire was developed to explore the experiences of Occupational Therapy staff during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The questions explored feelings, mechanisms of support and challenges to both practice and wellbeing. A total of 75 staff responded across one NHS Health Board and reflections were analysed using inductive content analysis.

Findings

Staff reflected on how their ability to adapt and remain flexible were protective factors. This combined with supportive family members, friends and colleagues led respondents to reflect on how well they coped. Barriers to coping included organisational challenges, personal challenges and professional challenges.

Conclusion

The importance of consistent communication, the need for staff to remain connected to their profession and the importance of engaging in meaningful occupations were highlighted as key to maintaining wellbeing during adversity.