Psychosocial Risks among Quebec Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Social Media Analysis

Mechanisms Explaining the Longitudinal Effect of Psychosocial Safety Climate on Work Engagement and Emotional Exhaustion among Education and Healthcare Professionals during the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the education and healthcare sectors were severely affected. There is a need to investigate the ways in which these workers in at-risk sectors can be protected and through what mechanisms. The aims of this research are, therefore, (1) to assess the mediating role of job demands and resources in the relationship between psychosocial safety climate (PSC) and work engagement and emotional exhaustion, and (2) to test for sector-specific differences among education and healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the study, which employed a longitudinal design including three measurement times, 70 education professionals and 69 healthcare professionals completed a questionnaire measuring PSC, psychological demands, social support, recognition, work engagement, and emotional exhaustion. The results show that PSC was significantly higher among education professionals than among healthcare professionals. When considering both job sectors together, mediation analyses show that social support mediates the PSC-work engagement relationship, while psychological demands mediate the PSC-emotional exhaustion relationship. Moderated mediation analyses show that job sector is a moderator: among education professionals, colleague support and recognition mediate the PSC-work engagement relationship, and psychological demands mediate the PSC-emotional exhaustion relationship. PSC is associated with more balanced job demands and resources, higher work engagement, and lower emotional exhaustion among education and healthcare professionals. The study of these two sectors, which are both vital to society but also more exposed to adverse work conditions, shows the importance that managers and executives must attach to their mental health by improving their respective working conditions.

Psychological, cognitive, and physiological impact of hazards casualties' trainings on first responders: the example of a chemical and radiological training. An exploratory study

Background

First responders are among the first to respond to hazards casualties. They might operate in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environments. While they have underlined the need to improve their knowledge and training to face these environments, there are few data regarding the stress induced by these trainings. Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) hazards casualties' trainings seem to be a good model of "in vivo" stress. First responders must operate in a hostile and encountered environment with a CBRN protective equipment that places demand on their psychological, cognitive, and physiological capacities. Current research recognizes that the activity of the parasympathetic system (PSS) can be used as an objective marker of stress adaptation, measured as heart rate variability (HRV).

Objectives

To compare between baseline and simulation the evolution of the parasympathetic activity (primary outcome), anxiety, emotions, cognitive load, and body posture awareness (secondary outcomes).

Methods

A total of 28 first responders attended to three simulated scenarios requiring CBRN management of casualties. One day before simulation, we collected HRV data (baseline). The simulations' day (pre-, post-simulation) we collected anxiety score (STAI-Y B), emotions (SPANE), cognitive load (NASA TLX), body posture awareness (PAS) and HRV. The morning after we collected the PAS score (recovery). We compare data' evolution between different times of the simulation.

Results

(i) A high level of anxiety at baseline [Median 51 (46; 56)] which decreased between pre- and post-simulation (p = 0.04; F = 2.93); (ii) a post-simulation decrease in negative feelings (p = 0.03); (iii) a decrease in body awareness after simulation which returned to the initial level at recovery (p = 0.03; F = 3.48); (iv) a decrease in mean RR between baseline, pre- and post-simulation (p = 0.009; F = 5.11). There were no significant difference between times on others analysis of HRV.

Conclusion

Prior to simulation, participants experienced anticipatory anxiety. Simulations training practiced regularly could be one way to combat anticipatory anxiety.